Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 13,122, settled in 1861.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Mount Vernon grades A overall, 64th among Virginia's 249 graded towns. The median household earns $164K. It is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $580K, 4.6 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Mount Vernon’s median household income is $164,000, against $101,000 in Virginia’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Mount Vernon is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 89% of U.S. towns. Mount Vernon has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Mount Vernon and Woodlawn Plantation.
Where Mount Vernon beats most towns.
Where Mount Vernon’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 Mount Vernon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Mount Vernon is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 24,058 in 1980, a peak of 28,582 in 2000, 12,914 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1800 and 5 maps from 1913 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mount Vernon. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw12 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw12 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw12 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw13 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw12 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
Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon has less tooth loss than most of Virginia and has household incomes well above the Virginia norm, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 7.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide. Against the 1,950 U.S. towns with household incomes like Mount Vernon’s, it is less healthy than 58%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
12% of adults report frequent mental distress in Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon beats the Virginia average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of adults have obesity in Mount Vernon.
| Mount Vernon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 34% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Mount Vernon | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.2% | 13.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Fairfax County Public Schools. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Mount Vernon High, with 1,858 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 741 | C− |
| Mount Vernon HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,858 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
61.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.5% across Virginia. The median property tax bill is $8,292, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Mount Vernon home is worth about $580,000, up 0.9% in a year, 41% above the Virginia typical home. Mount Vernon’s median rent is $1,620 a month.
| Mount Vernon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,620 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 68% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4.7 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Grist Mill Park, at 76 acres.
| Mount Vernon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.8% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mount Vernon Manor Park | 0.5 mi | 14 |
| 2. Washington Mill Park | 0.3 mi | 10 |
| 3. Grist Mill Park | 0.1 mi | 76 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
29.4% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
Most working residents leave Mount Vernon for work: only 4% work in town. 29% of Mount Vernon workers work from home. The top destinations are Washington (18%), Alexandria (10%) and Arlington (9%).
| Mount Vernon | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 29% | 17% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mount Vernon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mount Vernon has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Mount Vernon is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24 within 15 miles of the center of Mount Vernon
About 3 of every 100 Mount Vernon residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
4 places in Mount Vernon on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Mount Vernon is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 12,914 at the 2020 census. Primarily due to its historical significance and natural recreation and beauty, the Mount Vernon area receives over one million tourists each year. While the name "Mount Vernon"—drawn from the Mount Vernon estate, the home of George Washington located south of Alexandria—is often used locally to refer to the entire unincorporated area between Old Town Alexandria and Fort Belvoir, Mount Vernon as defined by the Census Bureau encompasses only the portion bounded by the Potomac River to the south, Fort Belvoir to the west, U.S. R…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Mount Vernon.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Fort Hunt (A) comes closest.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | #64 | A | C− | — | B+ | A |
| Hybla Valley | #163 | B | C | — | B+ | C+ |
| Fort Belvoir | #86 | A− | D− | — | B+ | A |
| Fort Hunt | #80 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Woodlawn | #114 | B+ | C+ | — | B+ | B− |
Mount Vernon, Hybla Valley, Fort Belvoir, Fort Hunt and Woodlawn report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Mount Vernon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Mount Vernon grades A overall, better than 88% of U.S. towns and #64 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−.
