VIENNA, VA — Vienna claimed a place on lists of best places to live in the U.S., but its rankings were higher on the statewide level.
Niche put out its annual best places to live rankings for the 11th year. The platform, which provides ratings and user reviews on communities, schools and more features, examined 230 cities and more than 18,000 locations in the U.S. Rankings consider data from the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and millions of resident reviews. Factors in the ranking include affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools, walkability and more.
"At Niche, we are proud to provide rankings that empower people to make informed decisions based on what matters most to them, whether that’s great schools, affordability, or access to parks and local businesses," said Luke Skurman, CEO and founder of Niche.
The main rankings are Best Places to Live in America, which includes cities and neighborhoods, and Best Cities to Live in America. Niche also provides specialized lists like the best places for families, young professionals, homebuyers, retirees and more.
On the Best Places to Live in America list, Vienna ranked 213th. However, the town was 117th on the more specialized best suburbs in the U.S. list.
Find out what's happening in Viennafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
On the Best Places to Live in Virginia, Vienna ranked 21st, and it was named the 10th best suburb to live in Virginia.
Niche gave Vienna an overall A+ grade, as well as A+ for being good for families and health and fitness. A grades were assigned to public schools and outdoor activities, while A- grades went to nightlife and commute. The rest of the categories — housing, jobs, cost of living, crime and safety, diversity and weather, received B level grades.
One resident of Vienna since 2007 summed up the town in a review:
"Vienna was a lovely place to live, right from the start. Present day Vienna is even better! We now have miles of new sidewalks, the W&OD trail for biking and walking, high-end restaurants, affordable restaurants--cultural tastes galore. Walkable shops, high-ranked doctors, lawyers, and professional services supported by the Vienna Business Association. Vienna is 17 miles outside of Washington, DC, has a Metro stop and several major highways nearby. The public schools are award-winning and there are great private schools, too."
The review also mentioned Vienna's active community that has improved the town, festivals, farmers market, Town Green, Freeman Store and Museum and Historic Vienna, Inc. events.
The top 10 best places to live in Virginia named by Niche were:
1. Colonial Village, Arlington County
2. Ballston/Virginia Square, Arlington County
3. Radnor/Fort Myer Heights, Arlington County
4. Innsbrook, Henrico County
5. North Highland, Arlington County
6. Clarendon/Courthouse, Arlington County
7. Stone Ridge, Loudoun County
8. Bluemont, Arlington County
9. Loudoun Valley Estates, Loudoun County
10. Cascades, Loudoun County