Best Cities for Young Professionals in Virginia

High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Income · 20% Educated Peers · 15% Young Demographic · 15% Jobs · 15% Transit · 10% Safety · 10% Broadband · 15%

Top 12 Young Professionals Cities in Virginia

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 76.9
Vienna, VA
16,369 residents
Income $223,571
Educated Peers 73.6%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#2
Score 75.1
Falls Church, VA
14,593 residents
Income $154,734
Educated Peers 79.7%
Young Demographic 39 yrs
#3
Score 70.3
Alexandria, VA
156,788 residents
Income $113,638
Educated Peers 65.8%
Young Demographic 38 yrs
#4
Score 69.8
Haymarket, VA
1,591 residents
Income $174,306
Educated Peers 53.5%
Young Demographic 38 yrs
#5
Score 69.7
Purcellville, VA
8,974 residents
Income $162,981
Educated Peers 57.9%
Young Demographic 36 yrs
#6
Score 67.6
Occoquan, VA
1,089 residents
Income $142,083
Educated Peers 56.0%
Young Demographic 44 yrs
#7
Score 67.5
Blacksburg, VA
45,288 residents
Income $48,070
Educated Peers 69.7%
Young Demographic 22 yrs
#8
Score 67.5
Fairfax, VA
24,478 residents
Income $132,774
Educated Peers 62.3%
Young Demographic 37 yrs
#9
Score 65.6
Leesburg, VA
48,788 residents
Income $140,668
Educated Peers 56.2%
Young Demographic 36 yrs
#10
Score 65.3
Herndon, VA
24,529 residents
Income $141,418
Educated Peers 50.3%
Young Demographic 36 yrs
#11
Score 64.3
Lexington, VA
7,420 residents
Income $89,598
Educated Peers 57.3%
Young Demographic 23 yrs
#12
Score 60.6
Manassas Park, VA
16,923 residents
Income $100,668
Educated Peers 25.5%
Young Demographic 35 yrs

Full Ranking, Virginia

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Vienna VA 76.9
2 Falls Church VA 75.1
3 Alexandria VA 70.3
4 Haymarket VA 69.8
5 Purcellville VA 69.7
6 Occoquan VA 67.6
7 Blacksburg VA 67.5
8 Fairfax VA 67.5
9 Leesburg VA 65.6
10 Herndon VA 65.3
11 Lexington VA 64.3
12 Manassas Park VA 60.6
13 Manassas VA 60.1
14 Charlottesville VA 59.7
15 Culpeper VA 58.7
16 Dayton VA 58.5
17 Bridgewater VA 58.3
18 Virginia Beach VA 57.9
19 Poquoson VA 57.8
20 Williamsburg VA 57.7
21 Dumfries VA 56.7
22 Christiansburg VA 55.7
23 Fredericksburg VA 55.4
24 Warrenton VA 55.1
25 Lynchburg VA 54.8
26 Warsaw VA 54.7
27 Berryville VA 54.2
28 Chesapeake VA 54
29 Radford VA 53.8
30 Salem VA 52.6
31 Bluefield VA 52.5
32 Broadway VA 52.4
33 Richmond VA 52.3
34 Ashland VA 52.2
35 Chatham VA 52
36 Harrisonburg VA 51.6
37 Buena Vista VA 51.4
38 Hampton VA 51.1
39 Suffolk VA 50.9
40 Smithfield VA 50.8
41 Woodstock VA 50.8
42 Grottoes VA 50.7
43 Gordonsville VA 50.6
44 Norfolk VA 50.1
45 Rural Retreat VA 49.7
46 Winchester VA 49.7
47 West Point VA 49.6
48 Wise VA 49.6
49 Narrows VA 49.1
50 Amherst VA 49.1

Vienna, VA tops the list with a composite score of 76.9 out of 100, followed by Falls Church and Alexandria. VA dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for young professionals.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Income, Educated Peers, Young Demographic, Jobs, Transit, Safety, Broadband. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to young professionals, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

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Related Single-Metric Rankings

Highest Income → Most Educated → Youngest Cities →