Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 49,627, settled in 1909.
For most people who can afford it, yes. McLean grades A overall, 47th of 249 graded towns in Virginia. The median household earns $250K. It is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $1.5 million for a typical one and 11.5 times the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. 84% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in McLean, where Virginia’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 29%. McLean is more walkable than 91% of U.S. towns. Only 21 of Virginia’s 372 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where McLean beats most towns.
14.8% of the town is conserved land, across 42 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far McLean is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 8%), so the A overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,094 in 1950, 50,773 in 2020. The archive holds 21 old photos and papers going back to 1918 and 7 maps from 1900 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around McLean. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw9 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw8 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw8 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw10 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw8 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M 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 · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
McLean 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 McLean.
McLean sends many workers across the state line and has less tooth loss than most of Virginia, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Virginia.
At 11.5 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income, the typical home (about $1.45M) costs more against local pay than in any other Virginia town; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
The median rent in McLean is $3,422 a month. The typical McLean home is worth about $1,451,000, up 3.1% in a year, 4 times the Virginia typical home. 86% of McLean households own their home.
| McLean | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,422 a month | $1,760 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Fairfax County Public Schools. Three of its 19 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longfellow MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 1,226 | A+ |
| McLean HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,428 | A |
| Kent Gardens ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 918 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
43 miles of trail in 42 parks and preserves. McLean’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Scott's Run Nature Preserve, 374 acres with 7.1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scott's Run Nature Preserve | 7.1 mi | 374 |
| 2. Turkey Run Park | 3.1 mi | 269 |
| 3. Difficult Run Stream Valley Park | 2.1 mi | 99 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 3.7% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like McLean’s, it is healthier than 57%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
21% of adults have obesity in McLean. McLean beats the Virginia average on 25 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 18% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in McLean.
| McLean | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.8% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | McLean | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3.7% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.9% | 13.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 57 flood insurance claims have been paid out in McLean.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
McLean has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 26° and about 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
25% of working residents cross a state line to work. 38.3% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
Most working residents leave McLean for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, McLean has added 2,722 jobs, to 15,311 in 2023. Among 253 Virginia towns, just 6 have a higher median household income than McLean.
| McLean | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 38% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $250,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
36 within 15 miles of the center of McLean
About 5 of every 100 McLean residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
7 places in McLean on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in McLean.
Unincorporated community in Virginia, US
McLean ( mə-KLAYN) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The community's population was 50,773 at the 2020 census. It is located between the Potomac River and Vienna within the Washington metropolitan area. McLean is home to many wealthy residents, such as diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials. It is the location of Hickory Hill, the former home of Ethel Kennedy. It is also the location of Salona, the former home of Light-Horse Harry Lee.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with McLean.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLean | #47 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Great Falls | #66 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Wolf Trap | #52 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Pimmit Hills | #28 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Tysons | #55 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Idylwood | #41 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Arlington | #43 | A | D | — | A− | A+ |
| Falls Church | #48 | A | D | B− | A+ | A+ |
McLean, Great Falls, Wolf Trap, Pimmit Hills, Tysons, Idylwood and Arlington report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare McLean with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. McLean grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #47 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,451,000, 252% above the Virginia typical home and up 3.1% in a year. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
7 notable people were born here, including Michael Arndt and Kevin Hogan.
