Niche 2022 Best Places To Live: How McLean Ranks In DC Region, VA

MCLEAN, VA — Niche, a platform for community and school ratings, released its 2022 Best Places to Live rankings this week, and McLean 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.

McLean ranks 74th among the Best Places to Live in Virginia and 93rd among the Best Places to Live in the Washington, D.C. area, according to the new rankings. Its highest ranking is fourth on Places with the Best Public Schools in Virginia.

The community received an overall A+ on livability factors based on data and reviews. On specific factors, McLean is rated with A grades on being good for families, public schools, outdoor activities, and health and fitness. B grades were assigned for housing, jobs, nightlife, diversity, weather, and commute. McLean's only C grade was for cost of living.

According to Niche, McLean has an average home value of $1,031,200 and median monthly rent of $3,065. The median household income is $207,184, compared to the national average of $62,843.

The majority of resident reviews provided a rating of "excellent," "very good" or "average" to McLean.

Multiple reviews noted the high cost of living and quality schools offered in McLean.

"McLean is the suburb of Washington D.C.'s diplomats, politicians, and government workers," said one reviewer. "It has one of the best education systems in the nation, but it is also one of the most expensive places to live as well."

Other reviews highlighted downsides and upsides of McLean.

"McLean is obviously a very wealthy community and there are a variety of different restaurants and amenities in McLean as well as excellent public schools," one reviewer shared. "However, I don't feel a strong sense of community living in McLean and it is not very pedestrian-friendly. It is certainly not an exciting place for young adults or kids but may be excellent for older folk."

On the Best Places to Live rankings in Virginia and DC metro area, Arlington neighborhoods 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.