Should I Move To
McLean, Virginia comes in at about 49,587 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 28% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $3,319/mo, and the median household income is about $250,001. Overall, 56/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C, putting it at #292 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
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 128 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $3,319/mo and median household income at $250,001, housing takes about 16% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $1,257,900.
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. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Air quality reads good (AQI 40).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
McLean is a tougher sell for families. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
McLean is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
McLean is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 38/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
On the young professionals profile, McLean sits squarely in the middle. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (6/100).
McLean, Virginia pulls a 56/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #292 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
McLean's cost-of-living index is 128 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 28% above the national average. Median rent runs about $3,319/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 88°F, winter averages around 32°F, with about 42 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 28/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
McLean has about 49,587 residents, 85% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 47.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put McLean head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how McLean stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
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 McLean with other Virginia cities scored on UrbRank.
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