Alexandria city, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Alexandria city, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above average
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A+
Income Top gradeAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in Virginia
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Alexandria city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 156,980 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 10227.8 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.49% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 76,093 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Alexandria city grew by 10.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 156,980 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Alexandria city is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 31.4% of residents. That is 8.9 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 28,568 18.2% -3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 49,214 31.4% +8.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 32,636 20.8% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 20,544 13.1% -3.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Alexandria city and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 48.8% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Alexandria city
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Economy
Alexandria city has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Alexandria city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $118,675 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.50% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Alexandria city is about 27% higher than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Alexandria city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $504,984 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,089 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 42.1% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Alexandria city is about 20.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,089 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Alexandria city spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 228 hours, about 9.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Alexandria city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.4 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.7 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 228 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,068 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 28.9% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 23,305 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,863 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Alexandria city is 27 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Alexandria city has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Alexandria city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.2% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.04 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Alexandria city has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Alexandria city | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.3 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.8% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.5% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Alexandria city, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Alexandria city, VA is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 156,980 residents against a local median of 678,314. Where Alexandria city, VA breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 16% below the local median of $141,911 at $118,675. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $504,984 against a local median of $597,276, 15% below it. The counties themselves spread $43,286 on median household income, so Alexandria city, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Alexandria city, VA has the 3rd highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria city, VA | 156,980 | $118,675 #3/4 | $504,984 #3/4 | 27.4 min #2/4 |
| Arlington County, VA | 236,150 | $141,911 | $370,061 | 25.4 min |
| District of Columbia, DC | 678,314 | $110,571 | $597,276 | 30.3 min |
| Fairfax County, VA | 1,147,383 | $153,857 | $654,572 | 27.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Alexandria city, Virginia.
How big is Alexandria city, Virginia by population?
About 156,980 people live in Alexandria city, Virginia, in 76,093 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 35.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Alexandria city, Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Alexandria city, Virginia has 10,228 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 118 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Alexandria city, Virginia?
The median home costs 4.3 times the median household income ($504,984 against $118,675), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,089 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Alexandria city, Virginia?
Unemployment in Alexandria city, Virginia is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Alexandria city, Virginia?
63.2% of adults in Alexandria city, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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