Find a Job You Really Want In
Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Virginia where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Wyndham, VA
- Crosspointe, VA
- Floris, VA
- Belmont, VA
- Franklin Farm, VA
- Dunn Loring, VA
- Broadlands, VA
- Vienna, VA
- Lowes Island, VA
- Fort Hunt, VA
These are the happiest places in Virginia. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Virginia?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 188 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Wyndham
Population: 10,151
Earners Over $75k: 81.6%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 15.0%
Wyndham is the happiest city in all of Virginia. What makes Wyndham residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Wyndham resident only drives 28.0 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Wyndham residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Crosspointe
Population: 5,879
Earners Over $75k: 92.8%
Average Commute: 31
Marriage Rate: 7.0%
In 2nd place we have Crosspointe. Residents of Crosspointe are highly educated, with an impressive 72.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Crosspointe have plenty of them.
3. Floris
Population: 8,305
Earners Over $75k: 92.8%
Average Commute: 30
Marriage Rate: 5.0%
Floris is the third happiest city in Virginia. Why so happy? 5.0% of Floris residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Belmont
Population: 6,629
Earners Over $75k: 89.4%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 6.0%
Folks in Belmont have a lot to smile about. An impressive 89.4% of Belmont households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Belmont can afford peace of mind.
5. Franklin Farm
Population: 18,727
Earners Over $75k: 90.1%
Average Commute: 31
Marriage Rate: 6.0%
Franklin Farm is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Franklin Farm residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Virginia city is only $618,700), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Dunn Loring
Population: 9,155
Earners Over $75k: 81.7%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 6.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Dunn Loring a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 81.7% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Dunn Loring home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Broadlands
Population: 13,704
Earners Over $75k: 88.8%
Average Commute: 35
Marriage Rate: 7.0%
Broadlands is the 7th happiest city. Broadlands residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 35.2 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Vienna
Population: 16,488
Earners Over $75k: 79.5%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 7.0%
Vienna residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Lowes Island
Population: 11,111
Earners Over $75k: 86.7%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 7.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Virginia is Lowes Island. The average commute in Lowes Island is only 33.8 minutes. That means they are only 33.8 minutes away from the loving spouse 7.0% of them have.
10. Fort Hunt
Population: 16,858
Earners Over $75k: 86.1%
Average Commute: 34
Marriage Rate: 7.0%
In 10th place is Fort Hunt, Virginia. What makes Fort Hunt so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Virginia
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyndham | 81.6% |
| 2 | Crosspointe | 92.8% |
| 3 | Floris | 92.8% |
| 4 | Belmont | 89.4% |
| 5 | Franklin Farm | 90.1% |
| 6 | Dunn Loring | 81.7% |
| 7 | Broadlands | 88.8% |
| 8 | Vienna | 79.5% |
| 9 | Lowes Island | 86.7% |
| 10 | Fort Hunt | 86.1% |
| 11 | Loudoun Valley Estates | 88.6% |
| 12 | Wolf Trap | 89.3% |
| 13 | Short Pump | 70.0% |
| 14 | Brambleton | 88.4% |
| 15 | Wakefield | 82.3% |
| 16 | Dranesville | 89.9% |
| 17 | South Riding | 84.4% |
| 18 | Mclean | 84.4% |
| 19 | Innsbrook | 58.6% |
| 20 | Great Falls | 88.5% |
| 21 | Pimmit Hills | 70.2% |
| 22 | Falls Church | 75.8% |
| 23 | Independent Hill | 89.8% |
| 24 | Ashburn | 75.6% |
| 25 | Mantua | 80.5% |
| 26 | George Mason | 71.0% |
| 27 | Gainesville | 80.1% |
| 28 | Long Branch | 75.0% |
| 29 | South Run | 91.4% |
| 30 | Linton Hall | 85.2% |
| 31 | Purcellville | 76.9% |
| 32 | Cascades | 76.4% |
| 33 | Kings Park | 80.3% |
| 34 | Massanetta Springs | 58.5% |
| 35 | Stone Ridge | 83.4% |
| 36 | Burke | 80.5% |
| 37 | New Baltimore | 77.3% |
| 38 | Fairfax Station | 88.3% |
| 39 | Crozet | 49.7% |
| 40 | Sugarland Run | 68.8% |
| 41 | Kings Park West | 83.3% |
| 42 | Leesburg | 66.5% |
| 43 | Laurel Hill | 71.1% |
| 44 | Hollymead | 52.7% |
| 45 | Mount Vernon | 74.7% |
| 46 | Newington | 80.2% |
| 47 | Mcnair | 72.1% |
| 48 | Buckhall | 80.3% |
| 49 | Newington Forest | 77.5% |
| 50 | Poquoson | 58.2% |
| 51 | Carrollton | 59.9% |
| 52 | Woodlake | 65.4% |
| 53 | Chantilly | 71.6% |
| 54 | Tuckahoe | 51.3% |
| 55 | Lansdowne | 68.2% |
| 56 | Idylwood | 67.3% |
| 57 | Countryside | 74.0% |
| 58 | Oakton | 72.3% |
| 59 | Woodburn | 68.9% |
| 60 | Fairfax | 68.4% |
| 61 | Centreville | 70.8% |
| 62 | Forest | 48.4% |
| 63 | Glen Allen | 50.0% |
| 64 | Mechanicsville | 53.1% |
| 65 | Herndon | 69.8% |
| 66 | Brandermill | 59.0% |
| 67 | West Springfield | 75.4% |
| 68 | Rose Hill Cdp (Fairfax County) | 74.2% |
| 69 | Arlington | 69.9% |
| 70 | Bon Air | 53.4% |
| 71 | Kingstowne | 77.9% |
| 72 | Lorton | 67.9% |
| 73 | Burke Centre | 74.1% |
| 74 | Lake Barcroft | 67.1% |
| 75 | Chamberlayne | 61.1% |
| 76 | Potomac Mills | 61.6% |
| 77 | Montclair | 77.1% |
| 78 | King George | 64.8% |
| 79 | Reston | 71.0% |
| 80 | Aquia Harbour | 80.3% |
| 81 | Neabsco | 73.9% |
| 82 | Belle Haven | 70.6% |
| 83 | Greenbriar | 66.6% |
| 84 | Sterling | 59.4% |
| 85 | Chesapeake | 50.6% |
| 86 | Bridgewater | 36.6% |
| 87 | North Springfield | 68.1% |
| 88 | Smithfield | 46.1% |
| 89 | Christiansburg | 39.7% |
| 90 | Dulles Town Center | 57.9% |
| 91 | Fishersville | 46.1% |
| 92 | Lake Monticello | 53.8% |
| 93 | Virginia Beach | 49.4% |
| 94 | Cave Spring | 41.1% |
| 95 | Suffolk | 46.8% |
| 96 | Chester | 46.8% |
| 97 | West Falls Church | 66.0% |
| 98 | Charlottesville | 40.7% |
| 99 | Fair Oaks | 71.7% |
| 100 | Groveton | 59.7% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
