Best Places22153, VA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 22153, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
22153 ranks 145th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low crime by a wide margin, and childcare costs are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 22153
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
22153's strengths and weaknesses
Where 22153 ranks high
- Crime safetyBetter than 99% of zip codes
- Household income$178,839 median, better than 98% of zip codes
- Educational attainmentBetter than 97% of zip codes
- Health outlookBetter than 97% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 97% of zip codes
Where 22153 ranks low
- Cheap childcare$1,512 a month, better than only 5% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 61 pleasant days a year, better than only 10% of zip codes
- QuietBetter than only 14% of zip codes
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 16% of zip codes
- Short commute30.8 minutes each way, better than only 25% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 22153
A household needs to earn about $182,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 22153 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is only a little above the area's median income of $178,839; the gap is small, which keeps homes within reach of local pay.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 22153's effective rate of 0.96%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 22153
22153's age mix sits close to the national median, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 22153.
Who works in 22153, and how
Work in 22153 centers on professional & technical and public administration. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 64%
- Work from home 29%
- Transit, walk, or bike 6%
Life in 22153
22153 has fewer places to eat and drink per resident than most zip codes and more parkland per resident than 82% of zip codes. The coast is about 13 minutes away. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of 22153 and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in 22153, month by month
22153 sees roughly 61 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 91 degrees. January highs sit near 48, with lows near 26. The comfortable stretch runs April through June, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 36° | 26° |
| April | 72° | 57° | 44° |
| July | 91° | 79° | 68° |
| October | 73° | 60° | 48° |
Flying in and out of 22153
Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl sits about 13 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 12.0 million passengers in 2025, with 128 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around 22153
Schools across 22153 average an A, better than 92% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Sangster ElementaryA+ · 91% proficient
- Silverbrook ElementaryA+ · 82% proficient
- Hunt Valley ElementaryA+ · 73% proficient
Top middle schools
- Irving MiddleA+ · 78% proficient
- South County MiddleA+ · 73% proficient
- Key MiddleB · 45% proficient
Top high schools
- Lake Braddock SecondaryA+ · 83% proficient
- West Springfield HighA · 78% proficient
- South County HighA · 69% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 22153 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
22153 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 22153 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Who 22153 suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 95% of zip codes, internet is fast and widely advertised, and 29% already work from home.
Common questions about living in 22153
Is 22153 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 22153 ranks 145th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on low crime, high incomes, and an educated workforce, and lowest on childcare costs and the weather. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 22153 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $682,097. The overall cost of living runs about 29% above the national average. Set against a $178,839 median income, cost of living beats 95% of zip codes.
Is 22153 safe?
Yes, 22153 is safer than 99% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $137 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in 22153?
July highs average about 91 degrees, and January highs near 48 with lows near 26. That works out to about 61 pleasant days a year, more than 10% of zip codes.
Is 22153 good for families?
Schools beat 92% of zip codes, crime safety beats 99%, and childcare runs $1,512 a month.
Compare 22153 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 22153. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 22153 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
22153 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 22153: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 22153: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 22153: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 22153: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
22153 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.