AlgonkianParkEntrance, 2015
Cascades’s story
Cascades in pictures
The archive holds 25 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 7 maps from 1908 on.
Explore the history →
CascadesVA
A town of 12,357.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Truejim (talk) (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
12,357
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$671K
Census ACS
Household income
$167K
median
Median age
39.0
years
Jobs based here
4,632
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#30 of 249 in VA
Why does Cascades grade so well?
Because it does well by almost any measure. Cascades earns an A, 30th of 249 graded towns in Virginia. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 97% of the country, the median household earns $167K, and its schools rank ahead of 88% of Virginia towns. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $671K, 5.3 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Cascades’ midpoint rent is $2,657 a month, above both the Virginia town median ($1,760 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Only 13 of Virginia’s 372 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest place to walk is Algonkian Regional Park, 523 acres with 5.2 miles of trail.
What makes Cascades stand out
Where Cascades beats most towns.
OutdoorsA+
28.9% conserved land
32 measures vs. Virginia
22 better10 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Cascades | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.5% | 11.1% |
HealthA+
Beats VA on 22 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Loudoun County Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Potowmack Elementary | PK–5 | 568 |
| Horizon Elementary | PK–5 | 510 |
| Our Lady of Hope Catholic School | K–8 | 220 |
SchoolsA
#19 of the 250 Virginia towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
Get outside
11 miles of trails in Cascades
28.9% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Cascades grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Cascades is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for health (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 14%), so the A overall blends very different results.
HealthInova Loudoun Hospital 5.3 miles awayA+Open →Jobs & income4,632 jobs based hereAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 18% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 321 attractions →White House and 246 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cascades. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw22 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw21 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw21 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw22 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw21 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
White 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
Getting set up
Moving to Cascades: who provides what
Cascades is unincorporated, so Loudoun County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDominion Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLoudoun Water - Central SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLoudoun CountyLoudoun County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLoudoun General RegistrarLoudoun County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code2016520165 99%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cascades.
Cascades has less tooth loss than most of Virginia, pairs an A for schools with high home prices and has household incomes well above the Virginia norm.
OutdoorsA+
Cascades keeps nearly a quarter of its land conserved
Cascades’ trail density is 2.8 miles per square mile. 11 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves here: 4, covering 575 acres.
#11for trails in VA
28.9%
conserved · 690 of 2,385 acres
11 mi
of trails · 2.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Algonkian Regional Park | 5.2 mi | 523 |
| 2. Potomack Lakes Sportsplex | 0.3 mi | 47 |
| 3. Sugarland Run Trail Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
Cascades’ grade for schools is an A
That grade comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $671K.
The largest public high school is Potomac Falls High, with 1,662 students. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Loudoun County Public Schools.
88%of VA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potowmack ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 568 | C+ |
| Potomac Falls HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,662 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
HealthA+
A smaller share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Cascades than in most of Virginia or the rest of the country
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 4.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide. Against the 1,795 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cascades’s, it is healthier than 79%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
In Cascades, 7.7% of adults smoke cigarettes. Among adults locally, 13% report frequent mental distress and 9.7% report frequent physical distress.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Cascades | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 36% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.7% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
22 better10 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Cascades | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.5% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.1% | 13.1% |
Inova Loudoun Hospital
5.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
84th
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Cascades faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Cascades than in just over four fifths of U.S. communities. Nearly two thirds of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by heat waves at 8%.
18risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Most of Cascades’ workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
30.2% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
Among working residents in Cascades, 2.8% work locally. The top destinations are Reston (7%), Washington (7%) and Tysons (7%). Cascades’ average trip to work comes in at 28 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 12 miles away.
3%work in town
| Cascades | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $167,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 30% | 17% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Cascades3%
Reston7%
Washington7%
Tysons7%
Arlington5%
12 mi
median commute distance
4,632
jobs based in Cascades
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 75% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Cascades
A winter brings about 21 inches of snow, with January nights at 25° and July afternoons at 88°.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–45°
Spring43–65°
Summer65–86°
Fall47–68°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
A home in Cascades sells for about $908K at the median
The median property tax bill is $5,562, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Homes sold in Cascades spent a median 26 days on the market. 83% of the homes sold in Cascades went for more than their asking price. For households here, the share who own their home is 72%.
$908Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
26
days on market
102.5%
sale-to-list price
12
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cascades
17pages on Cascades
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Cascades
Divine Mercy UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sterling5.4 miMontgomery CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rockville, MD12.7 mi$5,394 in-state tuitionVirginia University of Integrative MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Vienna12.9 mi
About 6 of every 100 Cascades residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Cascades for work
Where Cascades’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,632jobs based in Cascades
3%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cascades
Census-designated place in Virginia
Cascades is a census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cascades had a population of 12,366. Along with nearby Countryside and Lowes Island, it is considered one of the three main components of the Potomac Falls community (ZIP code 20165) within Sterling. Cascades is a planned community of 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) with approximately 6,500 homes. The corresponding homeowners association was incorporated on November 8, 1990. As in nearby Sterling Park, prior to the establishment of the Cascades community in 1990 the area was made up of a few very large farms. The homeowners association maintains five community centers, five swimming pools, …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.9 sq mi
Cascades’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Cascades.
CountrysideLowes IslandSugarland RunDulles Town CenterSterlingCascades
How the neighbors grade
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascades | #30 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Countryside | #67 | A | C− | — | A | A |
| Lowes Island | #22 | A | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Sugarland Run | #38 | A | C | — | A | A− |
| Dulles Town Center | #69 | A | C− | — | A | A |
| Sterling | #82 | A | C− | — | A | B+ |
Cascades, Countryside, Lowes Island, Sugarland Run, Dulles Town Center and Sterling report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cascades with a neighbor →
Questions about Cascades
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cascades, VA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Cascades grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #30 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Cascades, VA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $671,000, 63% above the Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.