Virginia isn’t just any Mid-Atlantic state, it’s actually one of the most safe, family friendly states in America.
Ask any Virginian and they will tell you that there’s a ton of family friendly activities everywhere you turn, here. Old Dominion is just one big playground for little and big kids alike. If you’re looking for a state with affordable, family friendly staycations, Virginia is your place. There are 37 State Parks and 20 National Parks that dot its landscape. Amusement parks like Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and Kings Dominion will keep your family entertained for an entire weekend. And if the beach is more your style, head to Virginia’s Atlantic coast. Virginia has thousands of miles of shoreline sure to make the best vacation memories.
There are 50 distilleries and 230 wineries in Virginia. So after you drop your kids at one of Virginia’s day or overnight summer camps, you and your significant other can enjoy a break as well. Summers never end in this state. Virginia is, afterall, for lovers (too). In all seriousness, Virginia has some of the best schools in the country. Blue ribbon elementary schools, gold star high schools, and colleges like Virginia State and George Mason University have been delivering the next generation to work at major Virginia companies like Hilton Hotel and Resorts HQ, Mars, Inc., and Northrop Grumman.
Now, it’s not lost on us that there are multiple cities on our best places to live in Virginia for 2026 that are also on our best cities for families’ list. Nothing but the best for Virginia families! To take a closer look at the top ten cities on our Family Friendly Virginia cities for 2026, grab a plate of blue crab, head to a sunny spot on the Chesapeake Bay, and read on.
$143,262 median income · 30.2% households with kids
Located in
Falls Church city, Virginia
Falls Church is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,332. The estimated population in 2015 was 13,892. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Falls Church has the lowest level of poverty of any independent city or county in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$145,205 median income · 41.5% households with kids
Located in
Loudoun County, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town within and the county seat of Loudoun County, Virginia. Leesburg is 33 miles west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according to the 2010 Census is 42,616. The town is also the northwestern terminus of the Dulles Greenway, a private toll road that connects to the Dulles Toll Road at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$216,953 median income · 43.6% households with kids
Located in
Fairfax County, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in ZIP codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to the north, and Hunter Mill road to the west.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$75,604 median income · 19.8% households with kids
Located in
Williamsburg city, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,068. In 2014, the population was estimated to be 14,691.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$83,331 median income · 24.7% households with kids
Located in
Fauquier County, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,611 at the 2010 census, up from 6,670 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2015 was 9,897. Warrenton is the county seat of Fauquier County. It is at the junction of U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 29, and U.S. Route 211. The town is in the Piedmont region of Virginia, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The well-known Airlie Conference Center is 3 miles north of Warrenton, and the historic Vint Hill Farms military facility is 9 miles east. Fauquier Hospital is located in the town. Surrounded by Virginia wine and horse country, Warrenton is a popular destination outside Washington, D.C.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$94,721 median income · 42.1% households with kids
Located in
Culpeper County, Virginia
Culpeper is the only incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,379 at the 2010 census, up from 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$119,681 median income · 20.6% households with kids
Located in
Alexandria city, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 139,966, and in 2016, the population was estimated to be 155,810. Located along the western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 7 miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$92,968 median income · 31.5% households with kids
Located in
Virginia Beach city, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 437,994. In 2015, the population was estimated to be 452,745. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city in Virginia and the 4most populous city in the nation. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is included in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. This area, known as “America’s First Region”, also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as other smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
$120,972 median income · 38.7% households with kids
Located in
Poquoson city, Virginia
Poquoson is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,150. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Poquoson with surrounding York County for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$86,071 median income · 23.0% households with kids
Located in
Fredericksburg city, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Eastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,286, up from 19,279 at the 2000 census. The city population was estimated at 28,118 in 2015. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg with neighboring Spotsylvania County for statistical purposes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Virginia’s statewide median.
Virginia statewide median: $93,170
Virginia statewide median: $412,467
On the map
Where Virginia’s most family-friendly cities are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Virginia anyways?
To give you the places in Virginia that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Virginia, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Virginia, that meant a total of 37 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in Virginia.
The full plate
Best Places For Families In Virginia
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falls Church | 14,710 | $143,262 | $789,604 | 30.2% |
| 2 | Leesburg | 49,171 | $145,205 | $865,517 | 41.5% |
| 3 | Vienna | 16,412 | $216,953 | $1,179,673 | 43.6% |
| 4 | Williamsburg | 15,798 | $75,604 | $464,104 | 19.8% |
| 5 | Warrenton | 10,176 | $83,331 | $681,948 | 24.7% |
| 6 | Culpeper | 20,794 | $94,721 | $451,495 | 42.1% |
| 7 | Alexandria | 156,976 | $119,681 | $676,205 | 20.6% |
| 8 | Virginia Beach | 456,349 | $92,968 | $427,032 | 31.5% |
| 9 | Poquoson | 12,639 | $120,972 | $462,480 | 38.7% |
| 10 | Fredericksburg | 28,873 | $86,071 | $480,265 | 23.0% |
| 11 | Charlottesville | 45,437 | $74,824 | $515,217 | 23.5% |
| 12 | Winchester | 27,913 | $63,974 | $399,457 | 24.3% |
| 13 | Herndon | 24,672 | $148,000 | $740,680 | 35.2% |
| 14 | Harrisonburg | 51,392 | $62,254 | $348,178 | 28.2% |
| 15 | Martinsville | 13,658 | $46,727 | $133,032 | 25.5% |
| 16 | Radford | 16,726 | $57,348 | $261,601 | 19.6% |
| 17 | Manassas Park | 16,798 | $103,250 | $462,197 | 37.7% |
| 18 | Staunton | 25,948 | $65,581 | $308,028 | 22.7% |
| 19 | Chesapeake | 252,583 | $95,373 | $420,756 | 35.7% |
| 20 | Hampton | 137,557 | $69,621 | $275,341 | 28.9% |
| 21 | Christiansburg | 22,720 | $77,147 | $304,607 | 26.1% |
| 22 | Suffolk | 98,796 | $92,666 | $384,301 | 32.9% |
| 23 | Lynchburg | 79,497 | $57,947 | $262,101 | 24.9% |
| 24 | Front Royal | 15,296 | $64,838 | $383,200 | 33.0% |
| 25 | Blacksburg | 45,446 | $50,182 | $420,779 | 18.0% |
| 26 | Manassas | 42,976 | $113,590 | $557,119 | 38.3% |
| 27 | Hopewell | 22,959 | $54,729 | $232,749 | 29.7% |
| 28 | Norfolk | 233,596 | $66,109 | $306,227 | 27.0% |
| 29 | Colonial Heights | 18,352 | $76,505 | $294,925 | 34.5% |
| 30 | Newport News | 184,216 | $69,634 | $290,660 | 28.8% |
| 31 | Waynesboro | 22,841 | $59,994 | $312,910 | 26.8% |
| 32 | Danville | 42,214 | $44,423 | $156,399 | 21.7% |
| 33 | Portsmouth | 97,190 | $60,491 | $260,462 | 30.5% |
| 34 | Richmond | 229,359 | $64,587 | $369,646 | 20.1% |
| 35 | Petersburg | 33,537 | $50,698 | $245,998 | 19.9% |
| 36 | Roanoke | 98,355 | $55,378 | $277,113 | 23.7% |
| 37 | Bristol | 16,849 | $50,404 | $201,474 | 23.1% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. 37 Virginia cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Virginia ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Virginia are Falls Church, Leesburg, Vienna, Williamsburg, Warrenton, Culpeper, Alexandria, Virginia Beach, Poquoson, and Fredericksburg. Not sold on Virginia? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places For Families In Virginia FAQs
What is the best place to raise a family in Virginia?
Falls Church is the best place to raise a family in Virginia for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Leesburg and Vienna round out the top three.
What are the best places for families in Virginia?
The best Virginia places to raise a family are Falls Church, Leesburg, Vienna, Williamsburg, Warrenton, Culpeper, Alexandria, Virginia Beach, Poquoson, and Fredericksburg. We ranked all 37 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
How do you rank family-friendly cities?
Family-friendliness blends low crime, good schools, proximity to a major city, the share of households with kids, and nearby amenities. The city that balances all of it best in Virginia is Falls Church.
Is Falls Church affordable for families?
The median home in Falls Church costs $789,604 against a median household income of $143,262. Statewide, the median home runs $412,467, so check the gap before you pack the minivan.
What is the toughest place to raise a family in Virginia?
Bristol lands at the bottom of the family ranking for Virginia. Families make it work everywhere, but the crime, school, and income numbers stack against it there.
