Should I Move To
Roughly 62,339 people live in Reston, Virginia. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 24% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,109/mo; the typical household pulls in $135,503. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 61/100 — a C+, putting it at #110 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.
By the composite index, Reston sits at 124 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,109/mo against $135,503 median household income), housing eats roughly 19% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $591,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 88°F in summer, 32°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 42 inches. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. AQI runs about 39 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Reston is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 60/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is education (97/100); the soft spot is affordability (17/100).
For retirees, Reston isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 53/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is education (97/100); the soft spot is affordability (17/100).
For remote workers, Reston isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 48/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is education (97/100); the soft spot is affordability (17/100).
For young professionals, Reston is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 61/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is education (97/100); the soft spot is affordability (17/100).
Our overall score for Reston is 61/100 — a C+, sitting at #110 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Reston sits at 124 — expensive, 24% above the national average. Median renter pays around $2,109 a month.
Reston runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 88°F, winter's near 32°F; 42 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 54/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 62,339 people live here, with 71% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 40.
Drop Reston 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 Reston with other Virginia cities scored on UrbRank.
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