Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Alexandria, VA

    Is Alexandria a good place to live?

    Watch Alexandria

    Alexandria ranks #25 of 45 Virginia cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (46/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 0.5% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $696,800
    +6.3% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $2,031
    per month
    Household income
    $113,638
    median
    Unemployment
    3.4%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Alexandria

    The median home value in Alexandria is $696,800 and median rent is $2,031 a month, against a median household income of $113,638. Homes cost about 6.1× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Alexandria crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Virginia the 2025 rate was 210 violent and 1,394 property crimes per 100,000 people — #33 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Alexandria, VA

    Alexandria has about 156,788 residents, 3.4% unemployment and 31% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Alexandria with

    Alexandria vs Virginia BeachAlexandria vs ChesapeakeAlexandria vs ArlingtonAlexandria vs NorfolkAlexandria vs RichmondAlexandria vs Newport NewsAlexandria vs HamptonAlexandria vs Roanoke

    More: Where to move in Virginia · Best counties in Virginia

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report