Dahlgren Mark III computer, 1955
Dahlgren’s story
Dahlgren in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1955 and 4 maps from 1948 on.
Explore the history →
DahlgrenVA
A town of 3,350.
1 bordering townMap →
St. Paul's Church · Photo: Pubdog · Public domain
Population
3,350
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$423K
Census ACS
Household income
$110K
median
Median age
34.1
years
Jobs based here
2,278
A job hub
TownGrade
B+
#118 of 249 in VA
Is Dahlgren a good place to live?
Dahlgren gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $423K for a typical one, or 3.6 years of the county’s $117K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 118th of 249 in Virginia. Only 6 of Virginia’s 372 towns score lower on the outdoors. Dahlgren has 1 place on the National Register. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 76% of U.S. towns.
WeakestC−Walkability
What makes Dahlgren stand out
Where Dahlgren beats most towns.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,201 people come to Dahlgren for work
Where Dahlgren’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,278jobs based in Dahlgren
8%of working residents work in town
35 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Dahlgren grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Dahlgren is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.9 of 20; 1.7% of households have no car; 0.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →HealthUniversity of MD Charles Regional Medical Center 13.9 miles awayBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
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 →
Getting set up
Moving to Dahlgren: who provides what
Dahlgren is unincorporated, so King George County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDominion Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNaval Support Facility, Dahlgren water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKing George CountyKing George 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 hereKing George General RegistrarKing George County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2015
ZIP code2248522485 100%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 Dahlgren.
Dahlgren draws workers from Virginia Beach and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Dahlgren’s workers leave town for work
2,278 jobs are based in Dahlgren, 2.4 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
The median household income for Dahlgren comes to $110,000, against $101,000 in Virginia’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. The town had 2,278 jobs in 2023, up 278 from 2013. The top destinations are Washington (7%), King George (4%) and Arlington (4%). Half commute less than 35 miles.
8%work in town
| Dahlgren | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $110,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.1% | 4.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dahlgren8%
Washington7%
King George4%
Arlington4%
Waldorf2%
35 mi
median commute distance
2,278
jobs based in Dahlgren
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 24% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB
Dahlgren’s schools rank ahead of 64% of Virginia districts
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the King George County Public Schools. Dahlgren’s only public school teaches 566 students.
64%of VA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potomac ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 566 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Dahlgren
Expect July afternoons of 89° and January nights of 28°, with about 12 inches of snow a winter.
12″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–48°
Spring46–67°
Summer68–87°
Fall50–69°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Mar 28
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Dahlgren is healthier than 63% of U.S. towns
Against the 7,133 U.S. towns with household incomes like Dahlgren’s, it is less healthy than 66%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
15% of adults binge drink in Dahlgren, above the Virginia town median (14%) but below the median of U.S. towns (16%). For adults locally, the share who feel lonely is 35%. Two figures for adults locally: 18% report frequent mental distress, 37% have obesity.
63%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Dahlgren | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 34% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
2 better30 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Dahlgren | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.1% | 6.1% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.5% | 7.7% |
University of MD Charles Regional Medical Center
13.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
46th
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Dahlgren: inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Dahlgren, 43% come from inland flooding and 34% from hurricanes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Dahlgren after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesStrong wind
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 284 attractions →White House and 193 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dahlgren. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw37 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw37 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw38 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw38 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw38 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dahlgren
16pages on Dahlgren
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dahlgren; the nearest are
College of Southern MarylandCommunity college · Public · La Plata, MD15.3 mi$4,200 in-state tuitionUniversity of Mary WashingtonUniversity or college · Public · Fredericksburg22.5 mi$14,640 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Dahlgren residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
A growing town
Dahlgren has grown 11% from 2010 to 2020
2,653 counted in 2010 and 2,946 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
About Dahlgren
Unincorporated community in Virginia, US
Dahlgren is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in King George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,946 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 2,653 at the 2010 census, that representing an increase from 997 in 2000.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 20 ft
- ZIP code
- 22448
Dahlgren’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Dahlgren.
Dahlgren CenterDahlgren
How the neighbors grade
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dahlgren | #118 | B+ | B+ | — | B | B |
| Dahlgren Center | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Dahlgren reports no FBI crime data of its own. Dahlgren Center isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Dahlgren with a neighbor →
Questions about Dahlgren
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dahlgren, VA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Dahlgren grades B+ overall, better than 73% of U.S. towns and #118 of 249 in Virginia. It grades B for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Dahlgren, VA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.