Vienna Is #2 In Top 100 Survey Of Virginia Communities

VIENNA, VA — A website that rates schools and places to live has ranked Vienna as the second best place to live in Virginia, with Merrifield coming in third and Oakton ranked as fifth best. The three places, along with 57 other Virginia communities, received an A+ grade on Niche's rankings of best places to live for 2018.

The rankings of best places to live awarded grades from A+ to D- to communities across the commonwealth. The top 100 communities in Virginia received grades of between A+ and A- with 58 communities getting an A+ grade, and 42 receiving an A grade.

Niche gives Vienna A+ ratings for its family atmosphere and public schools, and an A- for its low crime rate, rating the town of more than 16,000 as one of the safest in Virginia. Several reviewers praised Vienna's small-town feel, but noted that the area is becoming more congested with commercial and residential growth nearby in Tysons, which is ranked 15th by Niche.

Merrifield, on the other side of Interstate 66, has more of an urban feel, says Niche, with reviewers praising its variety of new shops and restaurants within walking distance.

Oakton, next door to Vienna, won praise for its diversity, convenient location and proximity to George Mason University.

Arlington topped Niche's list of the best communities in Virginia. Of the top 20 places, 19 are Northern Virginia suburbs and 10 are in Fairfax County.

To calculate the rankings and assign grades to communities, Niche looks at factors like the quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics and access to amenities. Niche gets its data from government sources like the Department of Education, the FBI and the U.S. Census. You can read more about Niche's methodology and data sources.

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You can see how all of Virginia's communities scored on the Niche rankings here.

Image: Town of Vienna