138 years in pictures
The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2000 and 7 maps from 1913 on.
- 1888Newington is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.

Population 13,478: a town settled in 1888.
Much to like here, and you pay for it. Health is where it shines: it is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns. At A+ overall, Newington is better than 95% of U.S. towns and ranks 21st of 249 in Virginia. The catch is cost of living (C−) — the typical home is worth about $598K, 4.7 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. The biggest park or preserve is Pohick Stream Valley Park, at 138 acres. The town’s going rate for rent is $2,805 a month, above both the Virginia town median ($1,760 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The median household earns $155K. 63% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in the town, above both Virginia’s towns (44%) and U.S. towns (29%).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · OpenStreetMap.
Where Newington beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Newington | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.2% | 11.1% |
Where Newington’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 Newington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2000 and 7 maps from 1913 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Newington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw14 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw12 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw13 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw14 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw13 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
Newington 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 Newington.
Newington draws workers from Dale City and beyond, has less tooth loss than most of Virginia and has household incomes well above the Virginia norm.
Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 6.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide. Against the 2,442 U.S. towns with household incomes like Newington’s, it is healthier than 73%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Newington: a quarter of adults have obesity. Two figures for adults here: 13% report frequent mental distress, 10% report frequent physical distress.
| Newington | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Newington | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.2% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.8% | 6.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Public schools: the Fairfax County Public Schools. Two of the 4 schools are below, and why each made the list. Newington’s only public school teaches 612 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saratoga ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 612 | C+ |
| Rivermont School - Nova PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 4–12 | Grades 4–12 | 47 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
12,351 jobs are based in Newington, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 30.3% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
The top destinations are Washington (15%), Springfield (10%) and Arlington (8%). For most workers, Newington is a place to come home to: only 4% work in town. The share of residents in Newington who live below the poverty line: 2.2%.
| Newington | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $155,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.2% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Newington, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 18 of 100. Flood insurance has paid out on 13 claims here since 2011. Expected losses in Newington break down as 74% from inland flooding and 8% from hurricanes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Newington once, in 2003.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Winters in Newington are chilly and summers warm. Summer afternoons peak near 88° in July, and January nights bottom out around 27°; snowfall runs to about 13 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.8 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Newington’s density of trails stands at 0.4 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: 6, covering 294 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Levelle W. Dupell Park | 0.7 mi | 29 |
| 2. Pohick Stream Valley Park | 0.6 mi | 138 |
| 3. Accotink Stream Valley Park | — | 75 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median property tax bill is $5,930, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
86% of households own their home in Newington. On the market here: a median 34 days to sell. In Newington, 43% of sales closed above the list price.
| Newington | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,805 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
21 within 15 miles of the center of Newington
About 8 of every 100 Newington residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Newington is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,223. The population was 12,943 at the 2010 census. The 2010 census showed a significant decrease after half the population was split off to the newly created Newington Forest CDP. While the ZIP code for Newington is 22122, this is only for delivery points within the post office itself. Homes and businesses in the CDP have Springfield or Lorton street addresses.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Newington.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newington | #21 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A |
| Lorton | #116 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Newington Forest | #19 | A+ | C | — | B+ | A+ |
| Fort Belvoir | #86 | A− | D− | — | B+ | A |
| West Springfield | #17 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Springfield | #115 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Franconia | #5 | A+ | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Kingstowne | #40 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
Newington, Lorton, Newington Forest, Fort Belvoir, West Springfield, Springfield, Franconia and Kingstowne report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Newington with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Newington grades A+ overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #21 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $598,000, 45% 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−.