Franconia, Virginia, 2009
Franconia’s story
Franconia in pictures
The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 7 maps from 1900 on.
Explore the history →
FranconiaVA
A town of 18,335.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: The original uploader was Ser Amantio di Nicolao at English Wikipedia. · CC BY 3.0
Population
18,335
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$567K
Census ACS
Household income
$152K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
8,776
Balanced
TownGrade
A+
#5 of 249 in VA
Why does Franconia grade so well?
Franconia is one of the best-graded places in America: an A+, ranked 5th of 249 in Virginia. The median household earns $152K, residents are healthier than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $567K, 4.5 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Franconia’s median rent is $2,605 a month, where Virginia’s towns sit at $1,760 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. On hazard risk, just 34 of Virginia’s 372 towns do better.
What makes Franconia stand out
Where Franconia beats most towns.
How Franconia grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Franconia is from typical.
Jobs & incomeA+Open →HealthInova Mount Vernon Hospital 3 miles awayA+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 9% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12.6 of 20; 1.7% of households have no carA+Open →Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsB+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 311 attractions →White House and 249 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Franconia. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw10 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw9 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw10 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw11 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw10 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 Franconia: who provides what
Franconia is unincorporated, so Fairfax County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDominion Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFairfax WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesFairfax CountyFairfax 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 hereFairfax General RegistrarFairfax County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes22310, 2231522310 58% · 22315 42%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 Franconia.
Franconia trades workers with Washington and other neighbors, has less tooth loss than most of Virginia and has household incomes well above the Virginia norm.
OutdoorsA
8.5% of Franconia is conserved land
7.0 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Franconia’s trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Island Creek Park, at 97 acres.
#28for trails in VA
| Franconia | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.0 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.5% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
8.5%
conserved · 189 of 2,215 acres
7.0 mi
of trails · 2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Amberleigh Park | 0.7 mi | 18 |
| 2. Island Creek Park | 0.4 mi | 97 |
| 3. Manchester Lakes Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Franconia’s schools beat 74% of Virginia districts
Its public schools are run by the Fairfax County Public Schools. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
74%of VA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island Creek ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 686 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
HealthA+
For health, Franconia earns an A+
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 5.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide.
25% of adults have obesity in Franconia. Franconia beats the Virginia average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Franconia.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Franconia | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
22 better10 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Franconia | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.2% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.5% | 6.2% |
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
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+
Very low risk in Franconia, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 2011, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Franconia.
9risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesHeat waves
2
paid flood claims since 2011
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Franconia has four seasons and pleasant summers
Franconia has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 27° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
13″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–46°
Spring45–66°
Summer66–86°
Fall48–68°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Apr 3
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Most working residents commute out of Franconia
Franconia has about as many jobs (8,776) as working residents, but only 160 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 6,093 in 2013 to 8,776.
Most working residents leave Franconia for work: only 2% work in town. 40% of Franconia workers work from home. Since 2013, Franconia has added 2,683 jobs, to 8,776 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Franconia | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 40% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $152,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.8% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Franconia2%
Washington20%
Arlington10%
Alexandria9%
Springfield7%
11 mi
median commute distance
8,776
jobs based in Franconia
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in Franconia sells for about $618K at the median
The median property tax bill is $5,562, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
$618Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
35
days on market
100.9%
sale-to-list price
23
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Franconia
17pages on Franconia
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
31 within 15 miles of the center of Franconia
Washington University of Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Alexandria4.7 mi$13,785 tuitionNorthern Virginia Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Annandale6.2 mi$5,891 in-state tuitionGeorge Mason UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Fairfax9.2 mi$14,220 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Franconia residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
About Franconia
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Franconia is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 18,943 at the 2020 census. Located just southwest of Alexandria, Franconia has existed as a community since the 1870s, when a station by that name opened on the RF&P Railroad. Like most of the surrounding area, however, it began to develop into its present suburban form only in the 1950s. The CDP extends south to just north of the border of Fort Belvoir, encompassing neighborhoods such as Manchester Lakes and Windsor Estates. Street addresses have Alexandria ZIP Codes 22310 and 22315. It is near the Springfield Mall shopping area and the Franconia–Springfield Washington Metro station.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 249 ft
Franconia’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Franconia.
At #5 in VA, it grades higher overall than all 5 graded towns on its borders; Rose Hill (A+) comes closest.
KingstowneSpringfieldLincolniaRose HillNewingtonFranconia
How the neighbors grade
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franconia | #5 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Kingstowne | #40 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Springfield | #115 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Lincolnia | #78 | A | D | — | B+ | A |
| Rose Hill | #20 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Newington | #21 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A |
Franconia, Kingstowne, Springfield, Lincolnia, Rose Hill and Newington report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Franconia with a neighbor →
Questions about Franconia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Franconia, VA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Franconia grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #5 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Franconia, VA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $567,000, 38% 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 C−.