2014-05-13 08 32 55 Eastern Red Cedar at South Riding Golf Club in, 2014
South Riding’s story
South Riding in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
Explore the history →South RidingVA
A town of 34,352.
Population
34,352
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$746K
Census ACS
Household income
$196K
median
Median age
38.5
years
Jobs based here
5,319
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#23 of 249 in VA
Why does South Riding grade so well?
Because it does well by almost any measure. South Riding earns an A, 23rd of 249 graded towns in Virginia. Residents are healthier than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, the median household earns $196K, and its schools rank ahead of 88% of Virginia towns. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $746K for a typical one and 5.9 times the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. South Riding’s median rent is $2,905 a month, above both the Virginia town median ($1,760 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). South Riding is more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Elk Lick Park, at 21 acres.
What makes South Riding stand out
Where South Riding beats most towns.
Loudoun County Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty Elementary | PK–5 | 813 |
| Little River Elementary | PK–5 | 701 |
| Hutchison Farm Elementary | PK–5 | 672 |
SchoolsA
#19 of the 250 Virginia towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 76% of U.S. towns
2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
A growing town
South Riding has grown 40% from 2010 to 2020
24,256 counted in 2010 and 33,877 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How South Riding grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far South Riding is from typical.
HealthStonesprings Hospital Center 2.6 miles awayA+Open →Jobs & incomeAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.3 of 20; 1.8% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 31% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+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 308 attractions →White House and 244 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South Riding. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw26 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw24 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw24 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
4 mi MuseumSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center1.6M visitors a year
Big draw26 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M 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 · Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to South Riding: who provides what
South Riding 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 code2015220152 100%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 South Riding.
South Riding has less COPD than most of Virginia, pairs an A for schools with high home prices and has household incomes well above the Virginia norm.
HealthA+
South Riding’s grade for health is an A+
Its widest gap with Virginia is COPD: 3.1% of its 23,112 adults have COPD, against 6.2% statewide. Against the 1,009 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Riding’s, it is healthier than 58%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
9.1% of South Riding adults report frequent physical distress. South Riding beats the Virginia average on 23 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 13% of South Riding adults report frequent mental distress.
97%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| South Riding | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
23 better7 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | South Riding | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.1% | 6.2% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 3.3% | 6.1% |
| Fewer adults screened for colon cancer | 58.4% | 67.4% |
Stonesprings Hospital Center
2.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
83rd
percentile among VA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA
South Riding’s grade for schools is an A
Its A for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $746K.
Its public schools are run by the Loudoun County Public Schools. Three of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
88%of VA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 813 | A |
| Freedom HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,885 | A |
| Little River ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 701 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
South Riding has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Jobs based here grew from 3,310 in 2013 to 5,319. 30.4% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
Most working residents leave South Riding for work: only 5% work in town. 30% of workers work from home in South Riding. Jobs based in South Riding grew to 5,319 in 2023, 2,009 more than in 2013.
5%work in town
| South Riding | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $196,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 30% | 17% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In South Riding5%
Chantilly7%
Tysons6%
Reston6%
Washington6%
12 mi
median commute distance
5,319
jobs based in South Riding
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in South Riding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in South Riding.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHeat wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2006
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
South Riding has four seasons and pleasant summers
South Riding has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–45°
Spring43–66°
Summer64–86°
Fall46–68°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC+
1.8% of South Riding is conserved land
0.6 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in South Riding is 0.1 miles per square mile.
1.8%conserved
| South Riding | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
1.8%
conserved · 78 of 4,406 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elk Lick Park | — | 21 |
| 2. Preserve | — | 7 |
| 3. Eastgate Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in South Riding sells for about $856K at the median
The median property tax bill is $6,164, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
$856Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
29
days on market
101.4%
sale-to-list price
33
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Riding
18pages on South Riding
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of South Riding
Divine Mercy UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sterling6.2 miAscent CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Gainesville9.4 mi$8,550 tuitionGeorge Mason UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Fairfax12.4 mi$14,220 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 South Riding residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave South Riding for work
Where South Riding’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,319jobs based in South Riding
5%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
South Riding’s neighbors
One town shares a border with South Riding.
Stone RidgeSouth Riding
How the neighbors grade
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Riding | #23 | A | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Stone Ridge | #9 | A+ | C− | — | A | A+ |
South Riding and Stone Ridge report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Riding with a neighbor →
Questions about South Riding
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Riding, VA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. South Riding grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #23 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is South Riding, VA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $746,000, 81% above the Virginia typical home.