Cost of living in Reston research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Reston is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Virginia, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Reston is 150, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Reston is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Reston ranks as the #138 cheapest in Virginia out of 190.
Reston ranks as the #5,692 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Reston is $631,023.
The median income in Reston is $139,515.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Reston has an overall cost of living index of 150, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Virginia, Reston has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than Virginia's index of 110.
The standard of living in Reston ranks as #138 most affordable out of the 190 places we measured in Virginia. By definition, that implies Reston ranks as the #52 most expensive place in the Old Dominion.
For more reading on life in Reston, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Reston. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Reston is 110.
The Groceries index in Reston is 109.
The Health index in Reston is 95.
The Housing index in Reston is 255.
The Transportation index in Reston is 96.
The Utilities index in Reston is 112.
| Living Expense | Reston | Virginia | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 150 | 110 | 100 | |
| Services | 110 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 109 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 255 | 130 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 96 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 112 | 104 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Virginia, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Reston is $631,023.
The Median Rent in Reston is $2,170.
The Median Income in Reston is $139,515.
The Home Value To Income in Reston is 4.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Reston is 0.19x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Reston. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Oakton, VA has a cost of living index of 168, 1.1x Reston.
Olney, MD has a cost of living index of 153, 1.0x Reston.
Sterling, VA has a cost of living index of 133, 0.9x Reston.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Reston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakton, VA | 36,776 | 168 | 1.1x |
| Olney, MD | 36,000 | 153 | 1.0x |
| Sterling, VA | 31,251 | 133 | 0.9x |
| Herndon, VA | 24,529 | 143 | 1.0x |
| North Potomac, MD | 23,994 | 172 | 1.1x |
| McNair, VA | 22,451 | 143 | 1.0x |
| Franklin Farm, VA | 18,509 | 171 | 1.1x |
| Wolf Trap, VA | 16,020 | 210 | 1.4x |
| Great Falls, VA | 14,854 | 228 | 1.5x |
| Kemp Mill, MD | 14,437 | 145 | 1.0x |