Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 44,029, settled in 1903.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Burke grades A overall, ranked 58th of 249 in Virginia. Residents are healthier than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household earns $186K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $719K for a typical one and 5.7 times the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Burke’s typical rent is $2,894 a month, above both Virginia’s towns ($1,760 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Burke is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 90% of U.S. towns. Only 35 of Virginia’s 372 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where Burke beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Burke | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.3% | 11.1% |
Where Burke’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Burke is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 33,835 in 1980, a peak of 57,737 in 2000, 42,312 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 7 maps from 1915 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Burke. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw14 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw13 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw13 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw15 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw14 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
Burke 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 Burke.
Burke has less tooth loss than most of Virginia, sends most of its workers to Washington and beyond and has household incomes well above the Virginia norm.
The median property tax bill is $7,311, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Burke home is worth about $719,000, up 1.4% in a year, 74% above the Virginia typical home. On the market in the town: a median 13 days to sell. In Burke, 63% of sales closed above the list price.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Public schools: the Fairfax County Public Schools. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. 5 public schools serve Burke, with 3,717 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sangster ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 928 | A+ |
| Lake Braddock SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 4,411 | A |
| Cherry Run ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 481 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
The biggest place to walk is Pohick Stream Valley Park, 192 acres with 2.2 miles of trail. Trails run 13 miles in 16 parks and preserves. The trail network density in Burke is 1.5 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pohick Stream Valley Park | 2.2 mi | 192 |
| 2. Middle Run Stream Valley Park | 1.5 mi | 117 |
| 3. Huntsman Lake Park | 1.3 mi | 105 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 5.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide. Against the 1,229 U.S. towns with household incomes like Burke’s, it is healthier than 52%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
For adults 18 to 64 in Burke, the share who have no health insurance is 6.2%. In Burke, nearly a quarter of adults have obesity, and 7.7% smoke cigarettes.
| Burke | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 34% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.7% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Burke | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.3% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.9% | 13.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Burke has 3,651 jobs for its 17,790 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. 30% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
The typical journey to work for Burke comes to 29 minutes. Most working residents leave Burke for work: only 3% work in town. In Burke, 30% of workers work remotely from home. Since 2013, Burke has added 319 jobs, to 3,651 in 2023.
| Burke | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $186,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 30% | 17% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 71% of Burke’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 7% to hurricanes. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2003.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A winter brings about 13 inches of snow, with January nights at 26° and July afternoons at 87°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
19 within 15 miles of the center of Burke
About 7 of every 100 Burke residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
3 notable people were born in Burke.
Unincorporated section of Fairfax County, Virginia
Burke is an unincorporated section of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, traditionally defined as the area served by the Burke post office (Zip Code 22015). Burke includes two census-designated places: the Burke CDP, population 42,312 in 2020 and the Burke Centre CDP, population 17,518 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Burke.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke | #58 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| West Springfield | #17 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Burke Centre | #59 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| South Run | #76 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Kings Park West | #33 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Newington Forest | #19 | A+ | C | — | B+ | A+ |
| Fairfax Station | #72 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Kings Park | #6 | A+ | C | — | B+ | A+ |
Burke, West Springfield, Burke Centre, South Run, Kings Park West, Newington Forest, Fairfax Station and Kings Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Burke with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Burke grades A overall, better than 90% of U.S. towns and #58 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
3 notable people were born here, including Byron Saxton and Glennon Doyle.
