Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 56/100
C−
Median home value$642,000
Washington $579,900
Median rent$2,231/mo
Washington $2,027/mo
Cost-burdened households26%
Washington 31%
Reston
Fairfax County64,414 residentsFairfax County Public Schools
70
B−
Suburbgrade score
6th of 60 Washington suburbs. Strongest on amenities, held back by housing & affordability.
70
Washington median 64
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Reston yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 70 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Reston is like to live in, by category
Bars show Reston against Washington. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 73/100
B
Within-state proficiency—
Washington median 78th pct
Student–teacher ratio12.3
Washington median 14.1
Graduation rate86%
Washington median 86%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 72/100
B−
Housing cost index105
Washington 100
Eff. tax rate0.97%
Washington 0.85%
Local sales tax5.77%
Washington median 5.77%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 72/100
B−
Mean commute26.0 min
Washington 32.4 min
Under 30 minutes61%
Washington 47%
Transit stops / sq mi13
Washington median 6.4 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 85/100
A−
Restaurants & cafés138
Washington median 87 · within 2 miles
Groceries7
Washington median 8 · within 2 miles
Parks171
Washington median 85 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 68/100
B−
Median household income$148,710
Washington $126,684
Unemployment5.0%
Washington 4.8%
Professional occupations69%
Washington 58%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
—
No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Reston yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
—
Do you feel safe walking after dark?
—
Can you walk to a grocery store?
—
Is it good for young children?
—
Are yards and streets well kept?
—
Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Reston on housing & affordability
Reston's weakest grade is C−. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
McLean8 mi from RestonA 72 B− Potomac9 mi from RestonB+ 67 C+ Burke13 mi from RestonB 67 C+ South Riding9 mi from RestonB 68 B− Brambleton10 mi from RestonB 66 C+ Bethesda13 mi from RestonB− 73 B Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Reston
Is Reston, VA a good place to live?
Reston scores 70 out of 100, 6th of 60 Washington suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Reston expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $642,000, 11% above the Washington median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.97%. $2,231/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Reston?
Schools grade B. The districts serving Reston sit at the — within-state proficiency percentile, with a 86% graduation rate and a 12.3 student–teacher ratio. Reston is served by Fairfax County Public Schools. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Reston?
The mean commute is 26.0 min, with 61% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 34% working from home. Transit density is 13 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Reston?
Within two miles there are 7 groceries, 138 restaurants and cafés and 171 parks, which grades A− on amenities.
Are the homes in Reston old or new?
The median home in Reston was built in 1984 — close to the Washington median of 1983. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 50% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.