WASHINGTON — Eight of the 25 best counties to live in are in the D.C. area, according to a ranking by 24/7 Wall Street posted recently by USA Today.
The City of Fall Church ranks No. 1. on the list.
To rank the best counties to live in, 24/7 Wall Street developed an index based on the United Nation’s Human Development Index, measuring educational attainment, poverty rate and life expectancy to determine the counties’ well-being.
The D.C. region did well on the list, “where a large share of residents have access to advanced, high-paying jobs in government and defense,” according to 24/7 Wall Street. “Major employers in Falls Church, Arlington County, Fairfax County and Alexandria include the U.S. Department of Defense. the Department of Homeland Defense, the Department of Commerce, defense contractor Northrop Grumman and government services company Booz Allen Hamilton.”
The City of Falls Church, a separate jurisdiction, was included with counties for 24/7 Wall Street’s ranking purposes.
Below are some facts noted in the report that made the city rise to the top:
- Falls Church City has grown more than 14.8 percent in five years (national growth rate is 3.9 percent).
- Its unemployment rate is 2.8 percent (national rate is 4.1 percent)
- Poverty rate is 2.7 percent.
- The life expectancy in the city is 81.8 percent.
- Typical household income is over $115,000, more than double the national median income.
Here is how the rest of the area fared:
- Arlington County — No. 3
- Fairfax County — No. 6
- Howard County — No. 7
- Loudoun County — No. 8
- City of Fairfax — No. 10
- City of Alexandria — No. 16
- Montgomery County — No. 17
To see the full list, go to 24/7 Wall Street.
