RANK #979 / 1001 NAT · #36 / 37 VA · POP 156,976
1YR FORECAST: -0.8%
5YR OUTLOOK: +9%
Old Town Alexandria, a nationally designated historic district, features cobblestone streets and 18th- and 19th-century architecture. Located on the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of Washington, D.C. Commuting to D.C. is possible via Metrorail, bus services like DASH and Metrobus, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), or even by bike on dedicated trails. The city offers over 900 acres of parks and 52 miles of trails, including the Mount Vernon Trail along the Potomac River, providing opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Alexandria maintains a community atmosphere with a balance of urban amenities and green spaces. The city's public schools are rated above average. Recent economic development efforts focus on diversifying the economy beyond its traditional reliance on federal jobs and residential real estate. This includes attracting businesses in sectors like artificial intelligence and strengthening support for local entrepreneurs. New commercial and residential developments are underway in areas such as Old Town North, Eisenhower East, the West End, and Potomac Yard.
Alexandria city's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +1.1% YoY, population +0.1%, wages +2.3%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below national median
Below-average climate & terrain
Speculative pricing
Housing looks overvalued at 15.3x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Potomac River Generating Station Redevelopment (Old Town North)
Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP)
|
$1,000M | Planned |
|
Alexandria City Public Schools Capital Improvement Program
City of Alexandria
|
$281M | Planned |
|
Cora Kelly Elementary School Replacement
City of Alexandria
|
$105M | Proposed |
|
Affordable Housing Investments (FY2027-FY2036)
City of Alexandria
|
$69M | Planned |
|
DASH Facility Expansion Project (Battery-Electric Bus Charging Yard)
Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) and City of Alexandria
|
$50M | Under Construction |
|
Eisenhower Pointe (Residential Development)
Tri Pointe Homes
|
$50M | Under Construction |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
The data is not encouraging — Alexandria city scores just 1/100 on the Boom Town Index, ranking #979 of 1001 counties. Job growth at -0.9% and median household income of $119,681 reflect an economy that has been contracting or stagnating relative to the rest of the country.
Alexandria city leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $735,100 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.16 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $2,089/month on average.
Population and employment in Alexandria city are both close to flat — population +0.1% YoY and jobs -0.9%. Home values shifted +1.1% over the past 12 months. A steady-state county, neither expanding quickly nor shrinking.
In significant numbers — 5.39% of Alexandria city's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.