Alexandria Ranks On 2022 Best Cities To Live In America List By Niche

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Niche, a platform for community and school ratings, released its 2022 Best Places to Live rankings this week, and Alexandria is included on several lists.

This is the eighth straight year Niche has done Best Places to Live rankings, covering 228 cities and 18,515 neighborhoods and towns. The rankings are used by millions of people each year on deciding where to live and attend school.

Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as Niche resident reviews. Niche evaluates factors like affordability, the housing market, neighborhood diversity, public schools, walkability and more in the rankings.

The Best Places to Live, Best Cities to Live, Best Suburbs to Live and Best Neighborhoods to Live are available on a national level as well as by state, metro area and county. More specialized lists include Best for Families, Best for Young Professionals, Best for Homebuyers, Best for Retirees and more.

Alexandria ranked 26th on the Best Cities to Live in America list, while neighboring Arlington ranked fourth. The city also ranks 11th on the Best Cities for Young Professionals in America. The city received an overall A grade on livability factors based on data and reviews. On specific factors, Alexandria is rated with A grades on being good for families, outdoor activities, nightlife, diversity, health and fitness, and commute. B grades were assigned for public schools, jobs and weather. C grades were given for housing, cost of living, and crime and safety.

According to Niche, Alexandria has an average home value of $572,900 and median monthly rent of $1,747. The median household income is $100,939, compared to the national average of $62,843.

The majority of resident reviews provided a rating of "excellent" or "very good" to Alexandria. While some reviewers acknowledged the expensive cost of living, convenience to DC was touted in many reviews.

"I moved here to be close to DC for work," wrote one reviewer. "I am now retired in this lovely, low-key, diverse and historic town. It’s safe, has lots of green space and welcomes young, not so young and everyone in between."

Other reviews mention appreciation for diverse people in the city.

"Alexandria is a very diverse place so it allowed me to meet different people and showed me a different version of lives in America from the rich to the poor," wrote one reviewer.

On the Best Places to Live rankings in Virginia and DC metro area, Arlington neighborhoods dominated the top spots. The top five places to live in Virginia are Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights (Arlington), Bluemont (Arlington), Colonial Village (Arlington), Ballston/Virginia Square (Arlington) and Cascades (Loudoun County). The top five places to live in the DC metro area are Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights (Arlington), Bluemont (Arlington), Colonial Village (Arlington), North Potomac (Maryland) and Ballston/Virginia Square (Arlington).

Visit the Niche website to view the Best Places to Live in Virginia and Best Places to Live in the Washington, D.C. Area lists. You can also search for your community on Niche's website to see its rankings.