Should I Move To
Alexandria, Virginia comes in at about 157,594 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 23% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,983/mo, and the median household income is about $113,179. Overall, 60/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C, putting it at #145 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 123 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $1,983/mo and median household income at $113,179, housing takes about 21% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $655,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 88°F, winters around 32°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 42 inches annually. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go. On the safer side of the national distribution, though not by a huge margin. AQI runs about 38 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, Alexandria sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 59/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is job market (96/100); the soft spot is walkability (18/100).
Alexandria is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 50/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is job market (96/100); the soft spot is walkability (18/100).
Alexandria is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 48/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is job market (96/100); the soft spot is walkability (18/100).
On the young professionals profile, Alexandria sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 57/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is job market (96/100); the soft spot is walkability (18/100).
Our overall score for Alexandria is 60/100 — a C, sitting at #145 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Alexandria sits at 123 — expensive, 23% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,983 a month.
Alexandria runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 88°F, winter's near 32°F; 42 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 18/100. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go.
Roughly 157,594 people live here, with 66% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 37.
Drop Alexandria into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Alexandria with other Virginia cities scored on UrbRank.
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