Residential comparison · 13 facts
Reston, VA vs Sterling, VA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Reston needs about $79,500 in Sterling to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sterling, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $90,500 in Reston.
A few differences
- Reston is higher on median household income ($148,710 vs $123,303).
- Sterling is lower on cost of living index (117 vs 128).
- Sterling is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,923/mo vs $2,236/mo).
Reston vs Sterling · facet by facet
| Facet | Reston, VA | Sterling, VA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $642,000 | $526,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,236/mo | $1,923/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.87% |
| State & local income tax | 4.36% | 4.36% |
| Sales tax | 5.75% | 5.75% |
| Cost of living index | 128 | 117 |
| Groceries index | 100 | 100 |
| Utilities | $175/mo | $175/mo |
| Median household income | $148,710 | $123,303 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Crime index | 32/100 | 32/100 |
| School rating | 6.8/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 210 days | 210 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Reston, VA · Sterling, VA
Questions & answers
- Is Reston cheaper than Sterling?
- Sterling has the lower day-to-day cost index (117 vs 128 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Sterling equals $85,000 in Reston?
- A household earning $85,000 in Reston needs about $79,500 in Sterling to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sterling lifestyle costs about $90,500 in Reston.