Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Virginia? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Richmond, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Virginia suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Old Dominion
Vienna is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Virginia.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Virginia, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Virginia and the best places to raise a family in Virginia.
Best Suburbs In Virginia For 2025
/10
Population: 16,369
Median Income: $223,571
Average Home Price: $961,100
More on Vienna: Data
Vienna is located 8 miles west of Arlington.
/10
Population: 12,556
Median Income: $120,919
Average Home Price: $403,000
More on Poquoson: Data
Poquoson is located 14 miles north of Norfolk.
/10
Population: 14,593
Median Income: $154,734
Average Home Price: $1,005,400
More on Falls Church: Data
Falls Church is located 3 miles west of Arlington.
/10
Population: 48,788
Median Income: $140,668
Average Home Price: $617,700
More on Leesburg: Data
Leesburg is located 29 miles west of Arlington.
/10
Population: 156,788
Median Income: $113,638
Average Home Price: $696,800
More on Alexandria: Data
Alexandria is located 4 miles south of Arlington.
/10
Population: 8,729
Median Income: $110,182
Average Home Price: $358,100
More on Smithfield: Data
Smithfield is located 20 miles west of Norfolk.
/10
Population: 24,529
Median Income: $141,418
Average Home Price: $568,700
More on Herndon: Data
Herndon is located 16 miles west of Arlington.
/10
Population: 24,478
Median Income: $132,774
Average Home Price: $677,400
More on Fairfax: Data
Fairfax is located 10 miles west of Arlington.
/10
Population: 16,923
Median Income: $100,668
Average Home Price: $381,200
More on Manassas Park: Data
Manassas Park is located 20 miles west of Arlington.
/10
Population: 42,674
Median Income: $117,919
Average Home Price: $434,700
More on Manassas: Data
Manassas is located 22 miles west of Arlington.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Old Dominion
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Virginia. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Virginia, we looked at every town with at least 2,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Virginia across these criteria from one to 20, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Virginia.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Virginia.
Read on to see why Vienna is the ‘burb with the most, while Petersburg is probably not the best place to live in Virginia.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Virginia
If you’re measuring the locations in Virginia where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Virginia are Vienna, Poquoson, Falls Church, Leesburg, Alexandria, Smithfield, Herndon, Fairfax, Manassas Park, and Manassas.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Virginia according to the data:
- Petersburg
- Portsmouth
- Hopewell
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
- Richest Cities In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Virginia
The Best Suburbs In Virginia
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna | 16,369 | $223,571 | $961,100 |
| 2 | Poquoson | 12,556 | $120,919 | $403,000 |
| 3 | Falls Church | 14,593 | $154,734 | $1,005,400 |
| 4 | Leesburg | 48,788 | $140,668 | $617,700 |
| 5 | Alexandria | 156,788 | $113,638 | $696,800 |
| 6 | Smithfield | 8,729 | $110,182 | $358,100 |
| 7 | Herndon | 24,529 | $141,418 | $568,700 |
| 8 | Fairfax | 24,478 | $132,774 | $677,400 |
| 9 | Manassas Park | 16,923 | $100,668 | $381,200 |
| 10 | Manassas | 42,674 | $117,919 | $434,700 |
| 11 | Hampton | 137,334 | $67,758 | $234,100 |
| 12 | Colonial Heights | 18,210 | $76,250 | $231,700 |
| 13 | Dumfries | 5,749 | $78,373 | $303,700 |
| 14 | Suffolk | 96,638 | $90,089 | $329,600 |
| 15 | Windsor | 2,808 | $65,321 | $248,200 |
| 16 | Ashland | 7,667 | $65,000 | $272,600 |
| 17 | Newport News | 184,774 | $66,718 | $243,300 |
| 18 | Hopewell | 22,944 | $48,681 | $165,100 |
| 19 | Portsmouth | 97,299 | $58,972 | $229,400 |
| 20 | Petersburg | 33,365 | $50,741 | $157,900 |