Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 71,706.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Centreville grades A− overall, 85th of 249 graded towns in Virginia. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country. The median household earns $140K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $615K for a typical one and 4.9 times the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. 12% of the land in Centreville is conserved, above both the Virginia town median (4.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, at 225 acres.
Where Centreville beats most towns.
Where Centreville’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 Centreville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 7,473 in 1980, 73,518 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 7 maps from 1915 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Centreville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw22 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw20 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw21 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw22 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
5 mi MuseumSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center1.6M 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 · Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
Centreville 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 Centreville.
Centreville has less tooth loss than most of Virginia and sends most of its workers to Springfield and beyond, but it has property taxes about twice the Virginia norm.
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 6.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide.
23% of Centreville adults have obesity, against 34% in Virginia’s towns and 35% across U.S. towns. 13% of Centreville adults report frequent mental distress. Centreville beats the Virginia average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Centreville | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Centreville | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.3% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.7% | 6.2% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.1% | 76.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Fairfax County Public Schools. Three of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Mill ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 874 | B+ |
| Mountain View HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 145 | C− |
| Powell ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 872 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
14 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. Centreville’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Little Rocky Run Stream Valley Park | 1.8 mi | 126 |
| 2. Ellanor C. Lawrence Park | 0.5 mi | 225 |
| 3. Arrowhead Park | 0.4 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median property tax bill is $6,100, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Centreville is $2,299 a month. The typical Centreville home is worth about $615,000, up 0.8% in a year, 49% above the Virginia typical home.
| Centreville | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,299 a month | $1,760 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 52% | 47% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Centreville has 10,462 jobs for its 36,309 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Centreville for work: only 4% work in town. 22% of workers work from home in Centreville. Jobs based in Centreville grew to 10,462 in 2023, 1,459 more than in 2013.
| Centreville | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $140,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 22% | 17% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Centreville has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 26° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Centreville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
9 within 15 miles of the center of Centreville
About 8 of every 100 Centreville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. As of the 2020 census, Centreville had a population of 73,518, making it the most-populous community in Fairfax County. Centreville is approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Washington, D.C.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Centreville.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centreville | #85 | A− | C− | — | B+ | A |
| Bull Run | #123 | B+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Chantilly | #77 | A | D | — | B+ | A |
| Union Mill | #50 | A | C | — | B+ | A+ |
| Fair Lakes | #62 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
Centreville, Bull Run, Chantilly, Union Mill and Fair Lakes report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Centreville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Centreville grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #85 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−.
