The Fairfax Girl Team 
Recent reporting by Travel + Leisure revealed that Vienna, VA, is the top suburb in America. The study was conducted by Liberty Home Products and evaluated the top suburban areas in the US based on a set of criteria such as crime rates and resident education level. We asked Vienna native + current Mayor, Linda Colbert, why she thinks Vienna is at the top. Read on for more about Vienna’s ranking as the top suburb in America.
Vienna is #1
Liberty Home Products said it examined 12 different factors across 50 suburbs in the United States, including rent, the housing market, crime, median income, employment, education, poverty, commuting times, and the number of sunny days per year. The study says Vienna combines “high earnings with strong employment and education levels.” The typical household earns $215,556, with nearly three-quarters of residents holding a bachelor’s degree. The town’s median rent sits at $2,410, and homes cost about $1.1 million, per the study.
Vienna was originally founded in 1742 and over time has been the site of Civil War skirmishes, a bustling agricultural industry, railroad expansion bringing change to the community, the first public school for Black children, and more. It now has a population of 16,276 and is one of the most popular places to live in Northern Virginia. People love the small-town feel, the W+OD Trail, and the town’s accessibility to DC via the Metro. It’s also home to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, a 117-acre park with three facilities for performances.
The Filene Center at Wolf Trap. Image credit: Rich Kessler.
Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert, naturally, agreed with the ranking. “Our community takes a lot of pride in the Town of Vienna, and we are honored that Travel & Leisure magazine highlighted the results of an independent study that named Vienna as the best U.S. suburb to live in. As someone who grew up in Vienna, I can attest to Vienna’s small-town charm and family-friendly amenities, including parks, youth sports teams, groups to join, walking trails, and community events. It’s the best place to call home,” she said.
Another study by Niche.com ranked Vienna as the #1 place to raise a family in Fairfax County. That ranking also credited the strong public schools, low crime rate, and high level of resident education for the city’s popularity.
Some of the most popular community events in Vienna include Viva Vienna, Vienna Oktoberfest, and the Vienna Halloween Parade. The organization Historic Vienna, Inc., is a citizen-led group dedicated to preserving Vienna’s history through community engagement, running the local museum, and hosting events. And no discussion about Vienna is complete without mentioning the iconic Vienna Inn, a hangout spot for generations of residents and the unofficial hub of Vienna Youth sports.
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