Signals
Gainesville
Alexandria
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs63 · Top 35%
Climate
74 · Top 31%
vs72 · Top 42%
Physical resilience
71 · Top 34%
vs60 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs64 · Bottom 26%
Schools
74 · Top 22%
vs28 · Bottom 21%
Access
94 · Top 42%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
85 · Top 2%
vs75 · Top 17%
Measured values
| Metric | Gainesville | Alexandria | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,196 | 156,976 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $174,410 | $119,681 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,896 | $79,474 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,799/sq mi | 10,511/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $712,600 | $735,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,283 | $2,089 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.5% | 42.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -3.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.0% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 88°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.2" | 41.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 37.8 min | 30.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 20 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.89 | 15.18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 69.6% | 39.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 82.5% | 52.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 24.2% | 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
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Gainesville
78
Your Score
—
Area Score
Alexandria
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
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Full profiles: Gainesville, VA · Alexandria, VA · How this is calculated: methodology