Falls Church receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Falls Church
Alexandria
Opportunity
60 · Top 41%
vs63 · Top 35%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
72 · Top 42%
vs72 · Top 42%
Physical resilience
90 · Top 11%
vs60 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs64 · Bottom 26%
Schools
70 · Top 26%
vs28 · Bottom 21%
Access
94 · Top 40%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
81 · Top 5%
vs75 · Top 17%
Measured values
| Metric | Falls Church | Alexandria | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,710 | 156,976 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $143,262 | $119,681 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $88,790 | $79,474 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,190/sq mi | 10,511/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,055,600 | $735,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,190 | $2,089 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.5% | 42.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -3.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 80.5% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 14 | 609 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.7% | 2668.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.8" | 41.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.2 min | 30.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.5 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.27 | 15.18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 66.0% | 39.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 70.1% | 52.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 30.2% | 69.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Falls Church
71
Your Score
68
Area Score
Alexandria
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
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Full profiles: Falls Church, VA · Alexandria, VA · How this is calculated: methodology