LowesIslandEntrance, 2015
Lowes Island’s story
Lowes Island in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2015 and 6 maps from 1908 on.
Explore the history →Lowes IslandVA
The town has 11,018 residents and lies in Virginia.
Population
11,018
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$793K
Census ACS
Household income
$221K
median
Median age
40.2
years
Jobs based here
970
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#22 of 249 in VA
Is Lowes Island a good place to live?
Lowes Island’s strongest is health: residents are healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Incomes are another plus — the median household earns $221K. What counts against it is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $793K, 6.3 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Put together, the subjects come to an A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 22nd of 249 in Virginia. On the outdoors, just 28 of Virginia’s 372 towns do better. Just over three quarters of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more locally, above both the Virginia town median (44%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Lowes Island's schools rank ahead of 88% of Virginia towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · schools, state test and graduation results · USGS PAD-US.
What makes Lowes Island stand out
Where Lowes Island beats most towns.
32 measures vs. Virginia
22 better10 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Lowes Island | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.2% | 13.1% |
HealthA+
Beats VA on 22 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
OutdoorsA
8.8 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves
Loudoun County Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Dominion Trail Elementary | PK–5 | 566 |
| Lowes Island Elementary | PK–5 | 528 |
| The Learning Village School | PK–1 | 62 |
SchoolsA
#19 of the 250 Virginia towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Lowes Island for work
Where Lowes Island’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
970jobs based in Lowes Island
2%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lowes Island grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Lowes Island is from typical.
HealthReston Hospital Center 6.1 miles awayA+Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA+Open →SchoolsAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 0.3% of households have no car; 2.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors9 miles of trails; 15% conserved landAOpen →HistoryLittle recorded history by comparisonD−Open →
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 248 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lowes Island. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw20 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw19 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw20 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw21 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw20 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 Lowes Island: who provides what
Lowes Island 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 codes20165, 2206620165 91% · 22066 8%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 Lowes Island.
Lowes Island has less food insecurity than most of Virginia and sends most of its workers to Reston and beyond, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Virginia.
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers 14.7% of Lowes Island
The trail network density in Lowes Island is 2.8 miles per square mile.
#11for trails in VA
14.7%
conserved · 295 of 2,011 acres
8.8 mi
of trails · 2.8 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
Lowes Island’s grade for schools is an A
Its public schools are run by the Loudoun County Public Schools. Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked. Public school enrollment in Lowes Island: 1,094 students across 2 schools.
88%of VA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Trail ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 566 | B− |
| Lowes Island ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 528 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
HealthA+
Compared with most of Virginia and the rest of the country, fewer of Lowes Island’s adults sleep under 7 hours
Its widest gap with Virginia is food insecurity: 6.2% of its 8,234 adults worry about having enough food, against 13.1% statewide. Against the 706 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lowes Island’s, it is healthier than 57%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
The share of adults 18 to 64 in Lowes Island who have no health insurance: 4.9%. 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in the town.
98%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Lowes Island | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 36% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
22 better10 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Lowes Island | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.2% | 13.1% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.6% | 7.1% |
Reston Hospital Center
6.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
89th
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
Few of Lowes Island’s working residents work in town
Lowes Island has 970 jobs for its 5,582 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. 36.3% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
Most people who work leave Lowes Island to do it: just 2% work in town. This Virginia town had 970 jobs in 2023, up 90 from 2013. Also worth knowing: for Lowes Island, the typical journey to work is 31 minutes. The top destinations are Reston (9%), Tysons (9%) and Washington (8%).
2%work in town
| Lowes Island | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $221,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 1.6% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lowes Island2%
Reston9%
Tysons9%
Washington8%
Arlington6%
12 mi
median commute distance
970
jobs based in Lowes Island
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 65% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Lowes Island, with inland flooding at the top
Of the losses FEMA expects in Lowes Island, 71% come from inland flooding and 8% from heat waves. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 72% of U.S. communities. The national flood insurance program has paid 2 claims locally since 2011.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2011
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Lowes Island has four seasons and pleasant summers
The seasons in Lowes Island: chilly winters, warm summers. Summer afternoons peak near 87° in July, and January nights bottom out around 25°; snowfall runs to about 21 inches a winter.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–45°
Spring44–65°
Summer65–85°
Fall47–67°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 13
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C−
The median home in Lowes Island sells for about $920K
At 6.3 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 84% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $6,444, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
89% of Lowes Island households own their home. The going rate for rent for Lowes Island comes to $2,840 a month. Bidding over the asking price: 30% of homes sold locally.
$920Kmedian sale price
| Lowes Island | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,840 a month | $1,760 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 89% | 68% | 73% |
Market temperature
40
days on market
99%
sale-to-list price
9
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lowes Island
17pages on Lowes Island
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Lowes Island
Divine Mercy UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sterling6.5 miMontgomery CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rockville, MD11 mi$5,394 in-state tuitionVirginia University of Integrative MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Vienna11.9 mi
About 7 of every 100 Lowes Island residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
About Lowes Island
Census-designated place in Virginia
Lowes Island is a census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lowes Island had a population of 11,023. Along with nearby Countryside and Cascades, it is considered one of the three main components of the Potomac Falls community (ZIP code 20165). The community takes its name from an island on the south shore of the Potomac River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.1 sq mi
Lowes Island’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Lowes Island.
Sugarland RunCascadesDarnestownLowes Island
How the neighbors grade
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowes Island | #22 | A | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Sugarland Run | #38 | A | C | — | A | A− |
| Cascades | #30 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
Lowes Island, Sugarland Run and Cascades report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lowes Island with a neighbor →
Questions about Lowes Island
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lowes Island, VA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Lowes Island grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #22 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Lowes Island, VA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $793,000, 92% above the Virginia typical home.