Niche.com has released its 2020 list of the best places to live in Virginia, and Arlington neighborhoods consistently among the best that the state has to offer.
The annual list — which individually ranks the best localities to live in each state based on housing trends, crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities and local amenities — gave seven of its top 10 spots to Arlington neighborhoods this year, out of 889 analyzed throughout the whole state.
The topmost slot went to Bluemont, an Arlington suburb home to just under 6,000 people bounded to the north and east by Interstate 66 and North Glebe Road near Ballston.
Bluemont received grades of A- or above in nearly every criteria, including public school quality, diversity, family living and jobs — with the notable exception of cost of living, which earned a C+.
“When we moved in, we had neighbors who worked as restaurant cooks, laundry machine repair and (at) print shops,” wrote an anonymous former Bluemont resident on Niche.com’s listing. “But within 10 years … we could have never (have) afforded to buy there, and the population changed toward lawyers and techies.”
Bluemont’s median home value is $718,409, and its median household income is $184,764 — the latter, over three times the national average. A search on Realtor.com shows homes on the market for as much as $1.8 million.
“Most residents own their homes,” noted Niche’s description for the neighborhood. “In Bluemont, there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and parks.”
Niche.com’s top 10 Virginia neighborhoods in 2020 are:
- Bluemont, Arlington
- Radnor/Fort Myer Heights, Arlington
- Ballston/Virginia Square, Arlington
- Clarendon/Courthouse, Arlington
- North Highland, Arlington
- Stone Ridge, Loudoun County
- Waycroft/Woodlawn, Arlington
- City of Arlington
- Short Pump, Richmond
- Innsbrook, Richmond
See Niche’s full list of the Best Places to Live in Virginia.
