Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 6,570 residents, it is a town in Virginia.
On health it is strong: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 97% of the country. Belle Haven’s overall grade, A, puts it better than 95% of U.S. towns. Its place in the ranking is 25th of 249 in Virginia. Add incomes to its strengths (A+) — the median household earns $141K. The catch is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $507K, 4 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Only 22 of Virginia’s 372 towns score higher on the outdoors. Mount Vernon Memorial Highway is on the National Register of Historic Places. 71% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more here, where Virginia’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 29%.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · USGS PAD-US · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Belle Haven beats most towns.
24.6% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Belle Haven is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 6,269 in 2000, 6,851 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 6 maps from 1900 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Belle Haven. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw7 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw7 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw8 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw8 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw8 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
Belle Haven is unincorporated, so Fairfax County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Belle Haven.
Belle Haven sends many workers across the state line, has less tooth loss than most of Virginia and has household incomes well above the Virginia norm.
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 5.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide.
12% of adults report frequent mental distress in Belle Haven. Of 32 CDC measures, Belle Haven beats the Virginia average on 22 and trails it on 1. In Belle Haven, just over a quarter of adults have obesity, and 7.8% smoke cigarettes.
| Belle Haven | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.8% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Belle Haven | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.6% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 13.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.7% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Public schools: the Fairfax County Public Schools. The largest public high school is West Potomac High, with 2,710 students. Of its 6 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle View ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 419 | C− |
| West Potomac HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,710 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
The biggest park or preserve is Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, at 276 acres. Across 4 parks and preserves: 1.7 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Belle Haven: 4, covering 415 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve | 0.8 mi | 276 |
| 2. Belle Haven Park | 0.1 mi | 117 |
| 3. Westgrove Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median property tax bill is $5,831, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
A typical home in Belle Haven is worth about $507,000, up 0.6% in a year, 23% above the Virginia typical home. The midpoint rent here is $1,841 a month. Also worth knowing: among households in the town, 75% own their home.
| Belle Haven | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,841 a month | $1,760 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
25% of working residents cross a state line to work.
The average trip to work for Belle Haven comes to 34 minutes. Most people who work leave Belle Haven to do it: just 3% work in town. In Belle Haven, 1.9% of residents live below the poverty line. Jobs in Belle Haven grew by 163 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 2,264.
| Belle Haven | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 26% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $141,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 1.9% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Belle Haven than in 52% of U.S. communities. This Virginia town has had 108 paid flood insurance claims since 1982. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 80% come from inland flooding and 5% from earthquakes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
34 within 15 miles of the center of Belle Haven
About 4 of every 100 Belle Haven residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Belle Haven is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Nearby CDPs are Huntington (northwest), Groveton (southwest) and Fort Hunt (south). The population of Belle Haven was 6,851 at the 2020 census. The CDP is located just south of Old Town Alexandria and bounded on the west by Richmond Highway (U.S. 1) and on the east by the Potomac River. It encompasses Belle Haven, a wealthy subdivision dating from the 1920s, and several adjoining neighborhoods. Some, particularly New Alexandria and Belle View, are among the lowest-lying residential areas of Fairfax County, and sustained extensive flood damage from storms including 2003's Hurricane Isabel and 1972's Hu…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Belle Haven.
At #25 in VA, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Huntington (A) comes closest.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Haven | #25 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Fort Hunt | #80 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Groveton | #133 | B+ | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Huntington | #75 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Alexandria | #190 | C+ | D | C | C− | A |
Belle Haven, Fort Hunt, Groveton and Huntington report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Belle Haven with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Belle Haven grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #25 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
