Fairfax County · Virginia · South · 157k residents
Alexandria, VA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Alexandria: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Virginia median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Alexandria is $735,100, 52% above the Virginia median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,362/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 135 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $119,681 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Alexandria is $735,100, 51.5% above the median for ACS-covered places in Virginia.
- Household income: Median household income is $119,681, 6.1% above the median for ACS-covered places in Virginia.
- Adult education: 66.2% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 34% above the median for ACS-covered places in Virginia.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 6.1 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A Potomac waterfront city where colonial streets, Black history, and capital access create a layered urban life.
Known for: Old Town, the waterfront, George Washington history, and walkable neighborhoods.
Calendar note: The Scottish Christmas Walk and Alexandria Film Festival are annual traditions.
Story source: Visit Alexandria
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Alexandria about 71 miles from the nearest tracked mountain.
- Climate signal: The profile records 210 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 28 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Alexandria side by side
Cost of living index
135
ACS median home value
$735,100
2-bedroom rent
$2,362/mo
Median household income
$119,681
Housing momentum
How fast Alexandria's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
24/100
Cooling
Ranks Alexandria's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Alexandria's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $735,100 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $220 |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,889/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,362/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.36% |
| Sales tax | 5.75% |
| Cost of living index | 135 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $70/mo |
| Gas price | $3.15/gal |
| Healthcare index | 98 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,250/mo |
| Median household income | $119,681 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% |
| Population | 157k |
| Crime index | 32/100 |
| School rating | 6.8/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 95/100 |
| Avg. commute | 28 min |
| Sunny days / year | 210 days |
| July high | 88°F |
| January low | 27°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -0.3% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | -1.2% |
| Rent MoM | -0.1% |
| Ocean coast | 108 mi |
| Big lake | 162 mi |
| Mountains | 71 mi |
| Major airport | 5 mi |
| Ski resort | 93 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Hybla Valley, VA · 17k
- Fort Hunt, VA · 17k
- Kingstowne, VA · 18k
- Lincolnia, VA · 20k
- Franconia, VA · 18k
Similar size
- Hampton, VA · 138k
- Newport News, VA · 184k
- Suffolk, VA · 99k
- Roanoke, VA · 98k
- Portsmouth, VA · 97k
Real listings in Alexandria
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Alexandria, VA?
- Alexandria indexes at 135 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,362/mo and a acs median home value of $735,100.
- How much does a house cost in Alexandria?
- The acs median home value in Alexandria is $735,100, 52% above the Virginia median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Alexandria?
- A two-bedroom in Alexandria rents for about $2,362/mo.