Ashburn vs Reston
Ashburn, Virginia versus Reston, Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Ashburn edges out Reston on overall objective livability (50 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Ashburn | Reston |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $147k | $136k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $76k |
| Home Value | $618k | $592k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.88% | 1.04% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 5.77% | 5.77% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.41% | 12.25% |
| Unemployment | 2.7% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 34°F | 35°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.1 in | 46.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 21.0 in | 18.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 181 days | 181 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 75 days | 76 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 20.6 | 9.1 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 79.1 | 74.1 |
| Violent Crime | 778/100k | 1310/100k |
| Property Crime | 726/100k | 2664/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 45,479 | 62,339 |
| Median Age | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+26 | D+39 |
| White (%) | 55.8% | 58.9% |
| Black (%) | 7.4% | 9.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.4% | 14.1% |
| Asian (%) | 21.0% | 11.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.5% | 5.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 9.1/20 | 13.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 5 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.5% | 96.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 71.02 | 67.85 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Ashburn or Reston more affordable?
- Reston has the lower cost of living: its index is $76k, compared with Ashburn's $83k and Reston's $76k. Median rent is $2k in Ashburn versus $2k in Reston.
- Is Ashburn or Reston safer?
- Ashburn has the lower violent crime rate. Ashburn reports 778/100k and Reston reports 1310/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Ashburn or Reston?
- The median home value is $618k in Ashburn and $592k in Reston, so homes are more affordable in Reston.