Ideal CityOpen the map

Dale City vs Fredericksburg

Dale City, Virginia versus Fredericksburg, Virginia: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Dale City

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Fredericksburg

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Dale City and Fredericksburg score about the same overall (45 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorDale CityFredericksburg
Affordability
Median Household Income$110k$83k
Cost of Living$74k$60k
Home Value$378k$438k
Monthly Rent$2k$1k
Monthly Owner Costs$2k$2k
Property Tax Rate1.01%0.64%
Income Tax5.80%5.80%
Sales Tax5.77%5.77%
Estimated total tax burden11.18%11.05%
Unemployment4.6%5.2%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)36°F36°F
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F79°F
Annual Precipitation47.1 in43.4 in
Annual Snowfall12.4 in11.3 in
Sunny Days181 days181 days
Summer Humidity65°F65°F
Comfortable Days79 days76 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk8.834.8
Air Quality49 AQI45 AQI
School Quality54.9—
Violent Crime1123/100k3349/100k
Property Crime1340/100k3977/100k
Community
Population73,92828,258
Median Age35.130.9
Racial Diversity0.760.58
Male/Female Ratio1.010.88
Political LeaningD+28D+36
White (%)24.4%56.9%
Black (%)23.1%20.7%
Hispanic (%)34.9%11.7%
Asian (%)11.2%3.8%
Other / Multiracial (%)6.4%6.9%
Getting Around
Commute Time39 min32 min
Walkability8.4/209.7/20
Airport Distance22 mi45 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access96.8%90.4%
Amenities Nearby38.28102.98
Park & Nature AccessExcellentExcellent

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 Dale City or Fredericksburg more affordable?
Fredericksburg has the lower cost of living: its index is $60k, compared with Dale City's $74k and Fredericksburg's $60k. Median rent is $2k in Dale City versus $1k in Fredericksburg.
Is Dale City or Fredericksburg safer?
Dale City has the lower violent crime rate. Dale City reports 1123/100k and Fredericksburg reports 3349/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Dale City or Fredericksburg?
The median home value is $378k in Dale City and $438k in Fredericksburg, so homes are more affordable in Dale City.
See each on the map

Explore Dale City →Explore Fredericksburg →

Full profiles