Rankings & Accolades
Alexandria, Virginia is a great place to live, work, and thrive. But you don’t have to take our word for it — see below for the ever-growing list of awards and accolades about the City of Alexandria.
Economy, Technology & Innovation
- Best Business Climate – #1 Alexandria (Small City, pop. < 200,000), Business Facilities, 2021, 2022
- Data Center Leader – #1: Northern Virginia, Business Facilities, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Cybersecurity Leader– #1: Virginia, Business Facilities, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Best State Business Climate– #1: Virginia, Site Selection Magazine, 2022
- Best States for Business – #2: Virginia, CNBC, 2023
- Best States for Business– #3: Virginia, CNBC, 2022
- Best States for Business – #1: Virginia, CNBC 2019, 2021
- Best Overall Business Climate – #1: Virginia, Business Facilities, 2021
- 2020 Deal of the Year – Alexandria, Inova Health System, Foulger-Pratt, & Howard Hughes Corp., Washington Business Journal
- Best States – #7: Virginia, US News and World Reports, 2019
- Top Digital Cities – #4: Alexandria (“Medium” City), Center for Digital Government (CDG), 2019
- 2019 Deal of the Year – Alexandria, Arlington, JBGSmith & VEDP, Washington Business Journal
- Community Economic Development Award (CEDA) – Alexandria & Arlington, Virginia Economic Developers Association, 2019
- Best City for Entrepreneurs – #1: Alexandria, Entrepreneur Magazine, 2017
Community
- The South’s Best Cities – #23: Alexandria, Southern Living, 2024
- Best Places for Cultural Riches – #1: Alexandria, Travel + Leisure, 2023
- Best Cities in the U.S – #8: Alexandria, Travel + Leisure, 2022
- Best Places to Travel – Alexandria, Money, 2023
- Best Places to Live for Families – #18: Alexandria, Fortune, 2023
- Top U.S Cities – #9: Alexandria, Travel + Leisure, 2023
- The 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S. – #26: Alexandria, Money, 2022
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The Best Cities in the U.S.: 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards – #3, #4: Alexandria, Condé Nast Traveler, 2019, 2022, 2023
- Best City in America for Young Professionals – #9: Alexandria, Niche, 2019
- Safest Cities in America – #1, #6: Alexandria, Smart Asset, 2019, 2023
- Most Diverse Cities in America – #23: Alexandria, WalletHub, 2019
- Best Cities to Live in America – #25: Alexandria, Niche 2019
- Friendliest Cities in the U.S. – #2: Alexandria, (Readers’ Choice), Conde Nast Traveler, 2019
- Best Cities for Working Women – #2: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area, Business.org, 2019
- Best for Vets: Places to Live – #1: Alexandria (Medium City), Military Times, 2019
- “All-Star” in Virginia for LGBTQ Equality – #2: Alexandria, Human Rights Campaign, 2017
- The South’s Best Cities 2020 – #7: Alexandria, Southern Living
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“Ice Cream Capital of the United States” – Alexandria, VA, Forbes, 2019
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Best Travel U.S. Destinations – #1: Alexandria, Money, 2018
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The South’s Prettiest Cities – #14: Alexandria, Southern Living, 2018
Environment
- 2018 Platinum Status – Alexandria (10th consecutive year), Go Green Government Challenge
- 2018 Platinum: Excellence in Management – Alexandria Renew Enterprises, National Association of Clean Water Agencies
- Greenest City in Virginia – #1: Alexandria, Insurify, 2018
- Greenest Cities in America – #3: Alexandria, Arlington, Washington D.C., Architectural Digest, 2017
Transportation & Walkability
- Most Walkable Cities in Virginia – #3: Alexandria, WalkScore, 2020
- 10 Best Cities for Accessible Living – #1: Alexandria, Arlington, Washington D.C., Redfin, 2018
- Bicycle Friendly Community Award – Silver: Alexandria, The League of American Bicyclists, 2018
Education
- Top States for Higher Education – #2: Virginia, SmartAsset, 2020
- Most Educated Cities in America – #2: Alexandria, Arlington, Washington D.C., Forbes, 2020
- Most Educated Cities in America – #3: Alexandria, Arlington, Washington D.C., WalletHub, 2019
- Best Mid-Sized City for College Graduates Starting Their Careers – #5: Alexandria, CoworkingCafe, 2023