In general, the best areas of DC to buy a home in are in the north and west of Washington, DC. Unfortunately, the best areas are also the most expensive. Here’s a list of the best areas to buy a home in that many people can afford.
Fair Lakes, Virginia
Fairlakes, Virginia regularly makes the list of top places to live in the Washington, DC area. It received an A+ rating from Niche.com. It received an A for public schools, an A+ for family friendliness, a B for housing prices and a moderate grade for safety. Unlike many other areas, it managed to get an A- for night life and an A for diversity, two factors that generally correlate to higher crime rates. The only area where it didn’t get an A is housing. It received a B for housing costs. The average home costs a little over half a million dollars. Median rent hovers around two thousand dollars a month. Highway 29 and Highway 66 give the area easy access to the broader DC metro area.
Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax received an overall grade of A from Niche.com. It received an A for family friendliness, a B for public schools, and a B for crime and safety. Note that this is significantly better than anything you’d find in parts of Washington DC where you could afford to buy a home. You will pay a premium for the privilege. Niche.com gives Fairfax a C+ for housing costs. The average home costs nearly six hundred thousand dollars. Median rent is around $1800 a month.
Vienna, Virginia
Vienna, Virginia received an A+ from Niche.com. It has great public schools. It received a B- for crime and safety, though this mostly consists of theft cases. It generally gets good grades for family friendliness. It receives a B- for housing, but it is still a relative bargain compared to DC. The average rent is a little over $2000 a month. If you want to buy a home, you’ll pay roughly three quarters of a million dollars.
Bethesda, Maryland
If you’re looking for Washington DC homes for sale, know that there are good options in Maryland as well as in Virginia. For example, Bethesda, Maryland received an A+ grade from Niche.com. It was also ranked the sixth best place to live in Maryland as a whole. It has excellent public schools. Crime rates are around the national average, but it is much safer than DC. It received a B- for housing costs. The median home price hovers around 900,000 dollars. The median rent is two thousand dollars a year.
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is a suburb of Baltimore geared toward public service. That’s only partially due to the fact that the US Naval Academy is located here. The city was ranked the seventh best place to live in Anne Arundel County. It received an A- from Niche.com. It received an A for nightlife, a B for its public schools, and a C for crime and safety. One point in favor of the area is its relatively affordable housing. The average home costs less than half a million dollars, and the median rent is around $1600 a month.
