Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For a city of 160,662, Alexandria does unevenly: it grades C+, 190th of 249 graded towns in Virginia. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 91% of the country and the median household earns $120K. The trade-offs: homes are expensive, about $663K for a typical one and 5.2 times the Washington metro’s $127K median household income, and its schools rank behind 80% of the state's. 66% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Alexandria, where Virginia’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 29%. Alexandria is among the most walkable places in the country. Its National Register listings include Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop and George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
Where Alexandria beats most towns.
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Shop is one of 7 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 45 National Register listings are more than in 96% of Virginia towns with a listing.
Census counts: 2,748 in 1790, 159,467 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1748 and 6 maps from 1900 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Alexandria is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 9%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alexandria. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw5 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw4 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw5 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw6 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw5 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearWhite House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alexandria, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Alexandria.
Alexandria sends many workers across the state line and fares better on crime within Virginia than nationally, but it trails Arlington and its other neighbors on schools.
26 miles of trail in 61 parks and preserves. The trail density in Alexandria is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Daingerfield Island, at 147 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Winkler Botanical Preserve | 3.1 mi | 51 |
| 2. Forest Park | 1.1 mi | 20 |
| 3. Jones Point Park | 1 mi | 65 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Arlington highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the Alexandria City Public Schools. Two of its 32 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis C. Hammond MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,597 | D |
| Alexandria City HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 4,655 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $7,024, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
42% of Alexandria households own their home. The typical Alexandria home is worth about $663,000, up 1% in a year, 61% above the Virginia typical home. Alexandria’s median rent is $2,089 a month.
| Alexandria | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,089 a month | $1,760 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 45% | 47% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 6.7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide.
10% of adults report frequent physical distress in Alexandria. Alexandria beats the Virginia average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 9.1% of adults smoke cigarettes in Alexandria.
| Alexandria | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 23% | 25% |
| What stands out | Alexandria | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.7% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.9% | 6.2% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 71.3% | 76.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 30 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 55% of Virginia’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 4,092 to 2,812 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Alexandria has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 27° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24% of working residents cross a state line to work. Alexandria has about as many jobs (73,191) as working residents, but only 10,306 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Alexandria for work: only 15% work in town. Jobs based in Alexandria fell to 73,191 in 2023, 9,359 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Washington (26%), Arlington (13%) and Tysons (5%).
| Alexandria | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $120,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
298 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 39 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 298 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alexandria.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
35 within 15 miles of the center of Alexandria
About 6 of every 100 Alexandria residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
45 places in Alexandria on the National Register of Historic Places.
34 notable people were born in Alexandria.
Independent city in Virginia, US
Alexandria is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It lies on the western (or southern) bank of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, bordering Washington, D.C. to the northeast. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 census made it the sixth-most populous city in Virginia and 169th-most populous city in the U.S. Alexandria is a principal city of the Washington metropolitan area, which is part of the larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. Large portions of neighboring Fairfax County have Alexandria mailing addresses, but are administratively distinct from the independent city. Alexandria was established in 1749 and incorporated as a town in 1779. In its…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Alexandria.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C+; Bailey's Crossroads (B+) is closest.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | #190 | C+ | D | C | C− | A |
| Arlington | #43 | A | D | — | A− | A+ |
| Lincolnia | #78 | A | D | — | B+ | A |
| Bailey's Crossroads | #136 | B+ | C | — | B+ | B |
| Rose Hill | #20 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Huntington | #75 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Belle Haven | #25 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
Arlington, Lincolnia, Bailey's Crossroads, Rose Hill, Huntington and Belle Haven report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Alexandria with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Alexandria grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #190 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
34 notable people were born here, including Dermot Mulroney and Angus King.
