2018 Best Places to Raise a Family in VirginiaAbout this List

Broadlands

• Suburb in Virginia
• 16

Current Resident: Broadlands is an incredible place to grow up. I have lived in Broadlands for 17 years couldn't imagine growing up in any other place. The schools are nationally ranked, the neighborhoods are beautiful, and location is perfect. Broadlands is located very close to attractions such as dozens of Vinyards, Dulles Airport, and beautiful shopping centers. Even after finishing college, I decided to come back to Broadlands because it's such an easy place to feel comfortable. My only complaint is the area is very populated which often means there is traffic.
Read 16 Reviews

• A+

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• 13,872 Population

South Riding

• Suburb in Virginia
• 40

Current Resident: Lots of food options and recreational activities! Plenty of family friendly events are held multiple times throughout the year, and I've always felt comfortable and safe in my neighborhood. Traffic circles have been popping up the last couple of years which makes commute times much nicer. Only complaint is that the nightlife around here is pretty dead.
Read 40 Reviews

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• 29,073 Population

Belmont

• Suburb in Virginia
• 21

Niche User: I grew up in this area, and have watched it developed from quiet, rural suburbia to progressively up-and-coming town. It'll be interesting to see how the Ashburn, Virginia, area ends up in 3-5 years.
Read 21 Reviews

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• 6,710 Population

Vienna

• Suburb in Virginia
• 63

Current Resident: I love living in Vienna! Everything you need is right in the neighborhood and walking distance. There is public transportation, trails, parks, dog parks, shopping centers, and retail stores. The Mosaic District nearby offers lots of great dining options, shopping, and entertainment. Vienna is near the city, but far enough away to avoid the tourist crowds and traffic. It's super easy though to hop on the metro and get to the city within minutes. It's a dog-friendly city as well. The school system is also one of the best in the state.
Read 63 Reviews

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• 16,378 Population

Brambleton

• Suburb in Virginia
• 17

Current Resident: I have lived in Brambleton with my family for the past four years. It has a wonderful diverse neighborhood, and a very kid-friendly environment! I live near many of my friends and have very nice neighbors. My favorite memory was going to see the Brambleton 4th of July fireworks show with my friends. Living here has been a very pleasant experience.
Read 17 Reviews

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• 17,063 Population

Stone Ridge

• Suburb in Virginia
• 12

Current Resident: Stone Ridge is a beautiful neighborhood that is family friendly and close to many shops and restaurants. The cost of living is very high, but that is characteristic of Northern Virginia. The HOA fees differ depending on where you live in the neighborhood; some areas with higher fees will provide lawn service, and other areas just get you into the community areas like the pools and club house. The three pools are kept clean. The sidewalks are usually only on one side of the road. Loudoun County Public Schools is very good about closing or delaying for bad weather, and the schools in Stone Ridge are so amazing. There are always school activities going on, and the staff really cares about the students' education.
Read 12 Reviews

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• 10,865 Population

Franklin Farm

• Suburb in Virginia
• 15

Current Resident: Franklin Farms is a great place for families. The schools that children attend are some of the best with hard working teachers who are dedicated to seeing children succeed. The neighborhood is family friendly and has many playgrounds and recreationally facilities available to all residents. There are wonderful paths that travel around the beautifully landscaped community that are constantly buzzing with walkers, joggers and bikers. The location is great as it is very close to many shopping locations, including Tysons corner, Fair oaks, and Fair lakes. It is close to many major highways and just a short distance from Dulles airport and Regan airport.
Read 15 Reviews

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• 19,303 Population

Loudoun Valley Estates

• Suburb in Virginia
• 1

• A+

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• 6,109 Population

Arlington

• City in Virginia
• 113

Current Resident: Arlington is a mixing bowl of job opportunities, people, and fun! There is incredible cuisine from many countries, authentic and delicious! Downtown has many options such as Ballston, Clarendon, Court House, Rosslyn, and more for exquisite restaurants, shopping, and night life. There are lots of trees despite the urban atmosphere. The school system is top in the state. The communities are diverse and offer a short commute into Washington, D.C.!
Read 113 Reviews

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• 226,092 Population

Dunn Loring

• Suburb in Virginia
• 18

Niche User: I believe that the area that I live in is pretty safe. There are a lot of people, and that can begin to start problems, but I think the police do a good job at protecting us and regulating what is safe and not. No city or town is perfect, but I feel safe in my community and i think most people who live here feel the same way.
Read 18 Reviews

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• 9,397 Population

Wakefield

• Suburb in Virginia
• 6

Parent: It's expensive but the whole DC metropolitan area is and Northern Virginia is still cheaper than nearby Washington, DC - you get a detached house and yard for the same or less money. Commuting to DC is tough and expensive but if you can work in Virginia somewhere, that would be ideal. Shopping is everywhere. It's very suburban which is relaxing compared to the 26 years I spent living in DC. Unfortunately, the area is being overrun by more and more people coming from other countries with limited or no English skills, parents with low-income job skills and children who are often behind in their education. This includes legal and illegal immigrants and refugees. This is causing a hardship on Fairfax County schools which are struggling to do more with less money and no additional state or federal money coming with the immigrants. Poverty is rising too iin the area. Finding work is difficult too. Specific skills are in high demand but they are pretty specialized. There is also a real divide in salaries. There are low-paying jobs (under $15 an hour) and then, there are high- paying, professional jobs, but not many jobs in between. Not sure I would choose to live here again but not sure where iin the US that it would be cheaper to live with more job opportunities and easier commutes to work.
Read 6 Reviews

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• 12,697 Population

Wolf Trap

• Suburb in Virginia
• 16

Parent: This particular area hosts an overall positive atmosphere and community, as well as a large degree of safety and security associated with an adept local government and a low crime rate. If I lived in another location and under different circumstances, I would personally choose, if given the opportunity to live here, to move here again.
Read 16 Reviews

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• 16,722 Population

Lowes Island

• Suburb in Virginia
• 4

Current Resident: A very safe place to live. It is a very clean place with good neighbors. It has a very good community services, public school, and real state market. You also have a very quick access to grocery shopping, restaurants, and Dulles town center mall.
Read 4 Reviews

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• 11,316 Population

Oakton

• Suburb in Virginia
• 42

Current Resident: Oakton Virginia is an upscale, neighborly community with beautiful sights and a is perfect location close by to all things imaginable. With a quick 30 minute drive you can be in our nation's capitol, Washington D.C. For a 20 minute drive you can be in-- Arlington, Fairfax, Vienna, Great Falls, Centreville, Gainsville, Herndon, Sterling, Annandale, Loudoun county and many more. This makes for an easy, convenient, and beautiful drive wherever you go. My family has lived here my entire life and I was blessed with a joyful childhood growing up in Oakton, Virginia.
Read 42 Reviews

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• 36,748 Population

Ashburn

• Suburb in Virginia
• 180

Current Resident: I've grown up in the Northern Virginia area almost all my life and I've seen it grown tremendously. It's a great place; we have great schools, lots of things to do around here, right next to Washington D.C., everything is in close proximity, it's very safe. I used to hate living here, until I got my license and could finally explore the area! We have One Loudoun, Brambleton, Tyson Corner mall, and Reston Town Center. We're also getting the metro out here soon! If that's not so much your speed we also have more rural areas near us, about a 30 minute drive from Ashburn.
Read 180 Reviews

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• 49,692 Population

McLean

• Suburb in Virginia
• 82

Current Resident: Mclean is a wonderful neighborhood to live in. It is very safe, clean, and high end. There is utilities and amenities everywhere. You really dont need to leave the area for anything really! The mall is very close, grocery stores are everywhere, and restaurants are amazing!
Read 82 Reviews

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• 48,867 Population

Cascades

• Suburb in Virginia
• 14

Current Resident: A beautiful, safe place to live! Friendly neighbors!

The perfect example of this was two winters ago when we had a big snow storm and we were trapped in. The whole community was outside shoveling the roads, sharing stories, eating food, and having a great time together.
Read 14 Reviews

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• 12,205 Population

Floris

• Suburb in Virginia
• 22

Niche User: Being so close to the District of Columbia, there are so many government contractors in the area. Everyone is busy, everyone needs to get somewhere. There's so much pressure to succeed, to land the next big contract, to hit the best college. The area is basically one big pressure cooker.

There are upsides to this. This area has some of the smartest people in the country, and there are plenty of places for entertainment and education. The only downside is the enormous, constant pressure and horribly high cost of living.
Read 22 Reviews

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• 7,876 Population

Lansdowne

• Suburb in Virginia
• 8

Current Resident: I live in Lansdowne Woods of VA (fka Leisure World of VA) which is an over 55, active adult community. It has wonderful facilities - clubhouse, pool, exercise room, events galore, bus trips, beautiful surroundings with woods and view of Potomac River, restaurant, trails, resident garden plots, security gate, etc. There are 4 high-rises with 11 stories and 3 low-rises with 4 stories. It is beautifully landscaped with plenty of parking for guests. Check it out at: http://www.lwva.org/
Read 8 Reviews

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• 11,742 Population

Mantua

• Suburb in Virginia
• 3

Current Resident: Excellent neighborhood, lots of community activities, club house/pool/tennis court events. Safe neighborhood, caring neighbors, neighborhood watch. lots of greenery around. great schools.
Read 3 Reviews

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• 7,497 Population

Purcellville

• Town in Virginia
• 28

Nearby Resident: Purcellville, Virginia is a lovely place. Purcellville is constantly growing and becoming a family friendly town that offers a wide variety of small businesses, restaurants, and entertainment. The education in Western Loudoun, Purcellville, is held to a great standard. This is a great location to raise a family because it is a quiet and laid back town that is close enough to the city, with a great community! Everyone who grows up here, stays!
Read 28 Reviews

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• 8,914 Population

Short Pump

• Town in Virginia
• 41

Niche User: Overall, I've had a pretty great experience in this neighborhood. I've lived in the Richmond area for almost my whole life, and while I just recently moved into this neighborhood, it was very easy to adjust and feel comfortable. The atmosphere is positive and the neighborhood is peaceful. I wouldn't consider the area to be incredibly special (a standard suburb community), but there are definitely things for everyone to find joy in. I am very happy to have settled in this home and if I could do it over again, the only thing I would do is move in earlier!
Read 41 Reviews

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• 27,099 Population

Long Branch

• Suburb in Virginia
• 2

Niche User: There could be better entertainment-movie theater.
Read 2 Reviews

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• 7,692 Population

Great Falls

• Suburb in Virginia
• 23

Current Resident: Great Falls is the perfect suburb to live in. It's about 30 minutes from Washington D.C and 1 hour from some scenic mountains in West Virginia. We also have the famous Potomac River Falls in our backyard. I love the community they have in Great Falls, there is always something going on in the courtyard of the plaza called "the Village", whether it's a small concert with barbeques or a farmers market. Every weekend, we have police cars setting up checkpoints to make sure people are making good decisions before getting behind the wheel. I've absolutely loved the last 11 years of living here and I cannot imagine myself living somewhere else.
Read 23 Reviews

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• 15,786 Population

Falls Church

• Suburb in Virginia
• 80

Current Resident: If I could describe my neighborhood in Falls Church it would be: Diverse. I have lived in the Falls Church area almost all of my life and I feel very lucky to have been surrounded by so much diversity from all walks of life. The area is very modern and very close to Washington D.C. I find my home to be very comfortable and friendly as everyone in the community is eager to help out a stranger. In addition, there are lot's of opportunities for people to grow within this area! The only issue might be traffic!
Read 80 Reviews

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• 13,597 Population