Best PlacesPotomac West, Alexandria, VA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Potomac West, Alexandria, 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.
Potomac West, Alexandria ranks 412th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a stable housing market by a wide margin, and childcare costs are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in Potomac West, Alexandria
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.
Potomac West, Alexandria's strengths and weaknesses
Where Potomac West, Alexandria ranks high
- Housing crash safetyBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- Household income$148,352 median, better than 91% of neighborhoods
- Cheap car insuranceBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than 84% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 84% of neighborhoods
Where Potomac West, Alexandria ranks low
- Cheap childcare$2,092 a month, better than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 64 pleasant days a year, better than only 15% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 17% of neighborhoods
- Internet speedBetter than only 19% of neighborhoods
- Short commute26.8 minutes each way, better than only 34% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Potomac West, Alexandria
A household needs to earn about $237,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Potomac West, Alexandria home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $148,352, so buying stretches a typical household.
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 Potomac West, Alexandria's effective rate of 0.97%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Potomac West, Alexandria
Potomac West, Alexandria runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Potomac West, Alexandria.
Who works in Potomac West, Alexandria, and how
Work in Potomac West, Alexandria centers on professional & technical and public administration. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 47%
- Work from home 30%
- Transit, walk, or bike 22%
Life in Potomac West, Alexandria
Potomac West, Alexandria has more parkland per resident than 75% of neighborhoods. The coast is about 21 minutes away. That concentrates in some parts of Potomac West, Alexandria and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Potomac West, Alexandria, month by month
Potomac West, Alexandria sees roughly 64 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 92 degrees. January highs sit near 49, with lows near 30. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 38° | 30° |
| April | 72° | 59° | 48° |
| July | 92° | 81° | 73° |
| October | 74° | 63° | 53° |
Flying in and out of Potomac West, Alexandria
Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl sits about 2 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 Potomac West, Alexandria
Schools across Potomac West, Alexandria average a B+, better than 79% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- George Mason ElementaryA− · 58% proficient
- Naomi L. Brooks ElementaryB+ · 55% proficient
- Charles Barrett ElementaryB · 48% proficient
Top middle schools
- George Washington MiddleA · 63% proficient
Top high schools
- Alexandria City High SchoolB+ · 54% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Potomac West, Alexandria school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Potomac West, Alexandria 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 Potomac West, Alexandria against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who Potomac West, Alexandria suits
Remote workers
Cost of living against local pay beats 75% of neighborhoods and 30% already work from home.
Common questions about living in Potomac West, Alexandria
Is Potomac West, Alexandria a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Potomac West, Alexandria ranks 412th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on a stable housing market, high incomes, and cheap car insurance, 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 Potomac West, Alexandria expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $887,962. The overall cost of living runs about 49% above the national average. Set against a $148,352 median income, cost of living beats 75% of neighborhoods.
Is Potomac West, Alexandria safe?
Yes, Potomac West, Alexandria is safer than 62% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $403 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in Potomac West, Alexandria?
July highs average about 92 degrees, and January highs near 49 with lows near 30. That works out to about 64 pleasant days a year, more than 15% of neighborhoods.
Is Potomac West, Alexandria good for families?
Schools beat 79% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 62%, and childcare runs $2,092 a month.
Compare Potomac West, Alexandria with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Potomac West, Alexandria. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Potomac West, Alexandria 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.
Potomac West, Alexandria detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Potomac West, Alexandria: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Potomac West, Alexandria: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Potomac West, Alexandria: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Potomac West, Alexandria: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Potomac West, Alexandria 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.