Living in Alexandria, VA
Suburb in Virginia
Alexandria is a suburb in Virginia, home to about 157,000 people, with 5.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Alexandria a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 10 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Highly educated: 66% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 7 research universities are within 31 mi
- Lots of culture: museums, zoos and attractions nearby
- Big job market: about 5.4 million people live within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $700k, and rent is $2,840 a month
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Alexandria ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Alexandria: common questions
What is the cost of living in Alexandria?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $700k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,840 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 109, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Alexandria?
Virginia collects about $2,198 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.99% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Alexandria safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.5× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Alexandria?
Alexandria has cool winters: winter days average around 47°F and summer days around 88°F, with roughly 14″ of snow a year.
Does Alexandria get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.35 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Alexandria?
The nearest major airport is DCA, about 3 mi away.
How Alexandria scores
Each bar compares Alexandria with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Alexandria right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.