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Top 50 rank: 3
Population: 16,285
Unlike other cookie-cutter suburbs in Northern Virginia, Vienna offers walkability, a historic center, and unique businesses that give Vienna an identity all its own.
A town green anchors the community and serves as a gathering spot for local events, like the Concerts on the Green summer series. A 45-mile bike path and park built on the roadbed of a former railroad cuts right through town, and downtown is dotted with one-of-a-kind stores and homegrown eateries. The small-town feel comes with access to all the D.C. metro area attractions.
All that comes at a cost: Real estate prices and taxes are among the highest in the county. A typical three-bedroom can sell for $600,000 -- and bidding wars are the norm. Then there's the traffic, though that's just a fact of life for anyone near the nation's capital. --Ismat Sarah Mangla
Vienna, VA
| Median family income (per year) | | $144,502 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | | 7.20% |
| Median home price (2012) | | $550,000 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below average) | | 7.5% |
| Math test scores (% above/below average) | | 25.8% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 12 |
Financials | |
| Median family income (per year) | | $144,502 |
| Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted) | | $105,230 |
| Sales tax | | 5.00%II |
| State income tax rate (highest bracket) | | 5.75% |
| State income tax rate (lowest bracket) | | 2.00% |
| Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state) | | $1,584 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | | 7.20% |
Financials
Housing |
| Median home price (2012) | | $550,000 |
| Average property taxes (2012) | | $6,066 |
Housing
Education |
Colleges, universities and
professional schools (within 30 miles) | | 52 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below state average) | | 7.5% |
| Test scores math (% above/below average) | | 25.8% |
| % students attending public/private schools (located within town limits) | | 86.0/14.0 |
Education
Quality of life |
| Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good) | | 80.5% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 12 |
| Median commute time (in minutes) | | 26.1 |
| % population with commute 45 mins. or longer | | 17.3% |
| % population walk or bike to work | | 7.2% |
Quality of life
Leisure and culture |
| Movie theaters (within 15 miles) | | 75 |
| Restaurants (within 15 miles) | | 7,052 |
| Bars (within 15 miles) | | 427 |
| Public golf courses (within 30 miles) | | 189 |
| Libraries (within 15 miles) | | 183 |
| Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles) | | 41 |
| Ski resorts (within 100 miles) | | N.A. |
| Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) | | 0.5 |
Leisure and culture
Weather |
| Annual rainfall (inches) | | 41.8 |
| % clear days in the area | | 54% |
| High temp in July ° F | | 89.1° |
| Low temp in Jan ° F | | 23.9° |
Weather
Meet the neighbors |
| Median age | | 40.5 |
| Completed at least some college (% of residents) | | 75.1% |
| Married % | | 53.8% |
| Divorced % | | 5.9% |
| Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity) | | 124.1 |
Meet the neighbors
