Niche 2022 Best Places To Live: How Falls Church Ranks

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Niche, a platform for community and school ratings, released its 2022 Best Places to Live rankings this week, and the City of Falls Church 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.

Falls Church ranks 77th among the Best Places to Live in Virginia and 96rd among the Best Places to Live in the Washington, D.C. area, according to the new rankings. Its highest ranking is sixth for Suburbs with the Best Public Schools in Virginia.

The community received A+ grades for public schools, good for families, and health and fitness. A grades were assigned for outdoor activities, nightlife and commute. An A- grade was assigned for diversity. Falls Church received a C+ grade was for crime and safety, a C grade for housing, and a C- grade for cost of living.

According to Niche, Falls Church has a median home value of $789,300 and a median monthly rent of $1,867. The median household income is $127,610, compared to the national average of $62,843.

The majority of resident reviews provided a rating of "excellent" or "very good" to Falls Church.

Multiple reviewers expressed pride in living in Falls Church.

"I arrived in the City of Falls Church 40 years ago when cornfields and horse farms led into the City. My husband’s family has had a business here for almost fifty years," a reviewer said. "We have the best award-winning public school system in the Universe and a community of caring intellectuals! It’s a very historic and political town with a strong sense of compassion and kindness."

Other reviewers highlighted both the upsides and downsides of living in Falls Church.

"Falls Church is a very cozy independent city nestled between a few larger counties in northern VA," a reviewer said. "I loved growing up here, but as I got older, I realized it wasn't very diverse. Additionally, the cost of living is very high, and it shows."

On the Best Places to Live rankings in Virginia and D.C. metro area, communities in neighboring Arlington dominated the top spots.

Arlington overall ranked fourth in the nation on the Best Cities to Live in America list. 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.