Reston VA vs Herndon
Which is better, Reston or Herndon? We get this question a lot from clients so we wanted to describe the two areas so you can learn the differences between them. What do you need to know if you have an electric car in Reston? And what do you need to know if you have kids headed to Herndon High School?
I am Melissa Terzis, DC Real Estate Mama and this is Michael, DC Metro Lifestyle, and we do these videos for you every week and break down living in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. We’ve lived here over 20 years and we know these areas very well. We go deeper than anyone. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the new videos!
Reston
Let’s start with Reston because that is where most people start their search in the Dulles Toll Rd corridor. Reston is a very popular area and word of mouth has definitely helped Reston to gain a lot of notoriety as “THE” place to live in Northern Virginia. It also helps that Reston was ranked by Money Magazine in 2018 as the best place to live in Virginia.
Reston has 5 village centers – Lake Anne, Hunter’s Woods, Tall Oaks, South Lakes and North Point and within each village center there are neighborhood clusters. If you love architecture, Reston is definitely for you! Most of the homes have a Mid-Century or a 70s Contemporary vibe and have remained unchanged since they were built. The master Reston Association and individual sub-associations have very strict guidelines which have preserved the charm of the homes. It is one of the things people love most about Reston!
Single family detached homes can start in the $600,000’s and go into the mid $1M’s, but about half of the homes are in the $800,000 to $1.1M price range. Townhomes range anywhere from the $300,000’s on the low end up to $1M but most of them are in the $400,000 to $800,000 range. There are also a lot of condos in Reston, the majority of which are in the $200,000 to $600,000 range. Homes that are waterfront fetch much higher prices than the other homes in the Reston clusters.
There are single family homes, townhomes, and condos that are waterfront. This is one of the factors that contributes to such a wide range of pricing. One of the other factors that affects pricing in Reston is whether or not the townhomes or single-family homes have a garage. Because the original Reston clusters are mostly older communities, garages weren’t a “must have” then and so anything with a garage tends to fetch a higher sales price. Also, suburban buyers tend to be focused more on homes with garages, so this creates more demand for those homes. This is also true because of electric cars pushing the demand up for private parking spaces for overnight charging. Pro Tip – if you have an electric car you need to know this. The Reston Association hasn’t budged much on allowing homeowners to install electric charging stations outside of their garages or next to their assigned parking spaces.
The condos in Reston have such a broad range in sales price. The wide price span is due to both the high condo fees that are associated with certain communities and if they are waterfront or water view. Many of the older condo communities in Reston have condo fees that exceed $600 per month. When condo fees are higher, appreciation tends to be stunted because it affects a buyer’s purchasing power if they are using financing. Investors also look at this because it cuts into their bottom line. The newer condo buildings are generally clustered around Reston Town Center. These condos have more walkability to restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. Many buyers moving from Arlington, Old Town Alexandria, and DC find these condos very desirable and more familiar to their way of life. This in turn creates more interest and increases competition for these units.
The walkability factor also affects the single-family homes and townhomes. The closer you are to the village centers or Reston Town Center, the more the demand will be for your home. Reston has done such an excellent job marrying walkability and green space.
Reston’s greenspace provides more opportunities for outdoor activities and honestly, makes everyday life feel like more of a vacation in comparison to so many of the other cities and towns in Northern Virginia. You have things like the Walker Nature Center, W&OD Trail, multiple community lakes, pools, tons of walking trails, the NOVA Wild Animal Center, and a robust Arts community with activities for every level of interest. For a full list of activities, check out our video on Reston!
Herndon
For many years, Herndon was the place people moved when they couldn’t afford Reston. But things have changed in that now the two areas are just considered like adjacent towns offering different lifestyles. The historic downtown of Herndon is incredibly charming, walkable and connects to the W&OD trail. We love the variety of architecture in Herndon. You can find everything from a historic home, Mid Century architecture, new construction Craftsman style homes, and traditional Colonials. Single family homes range from the low $400,000s to $1.8 million. Many of the single-family homes in Herndon have large lots with mature landscaping and trees.
Townhome communities are all over Herndon and feature both older townhomes from 60s-80s that are more typically made of brick construction, and newer construction homes that are brick and siding from the 90s to the present. Townhomes range from $325,000 – $900,000. Townhomes in the higher price range live like single-family homes and often have two car garages.
Condominiums in the area range from single level garden style condos, mid-rise buildings and two or three story townhome style condominiums. Prices range from $190,000 to around $700,000.
What is there to do in Herndon? Herndon is home to Frying Pan Park, which is one of the most well-known parks in the entire Northern Virginia area and hosts so many activities and festivals for people of all ages. Themed festivals include Farm Harvest Days, Fall Carnival, Big Truck Night, and Halloween on the Farm.
Frying Pan Farm Park also offers adult fitness, art, dance and dog classes, kids’ summer camps, classes for toddlers through adults, family programs, a licensed preschool, and horseback riding lessons.
The farm has a variety of livestock for everyone to enjoy and also has a 4-H Club chapter. The club focuses on basic animal science, livestock showmanship and leadership. Members participate in club and park sponsored events, county and state 4-H competitions, and livestock shows such as the annual Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival. New members can register between August to February.
Herndon is also home to a budding Arts district, Hunter’s Creek Swim and Racquet Club, Herndon Swim Club and many other smaller parks. You can also enjoy the farmers market and other community events that are sponsored by the town of Herndon throughout the year.
One thing to know about Herndon is the schools are not in a great spot right now. Herndon High School ranks a 2 on Great Schools. Here’s what I can tell you about Herndon High School – you probably don’t want your kid to go there right now. There’s been a lot of turmoil this past school year due to the Principal instituting something called Standards Based Grading. You can read about Standards Based Grading but it changes the grading system from the A/B/C to numbers that describe a level of the student grasping material. The problem is that students were allowed multiple retakes to improve their grades.
Teachers weren’t trained on Standards Based Grading and grades dropped. After dodging parents all year, they finally called it out where it became pretty combative between the parents, teachers and administration at the school. In a school with one third of the student population is considered an English Language Learner, this wasn’t a good move. This is one downside, and the high school in Reston, South Lakes, is in a better spot. They have a 6/10 on Great Schools.
So how do you choose?
I feel like we are playing the Dating Game and Reston is Bachelor #1 and Herndon is Bachelor #2. Now it’s time to ask each Bachelor your questions to see which one will be the best fit…cue the dramatic sound effects!
So why is it that so many buyers start their search in Reston and then expand to Herndon? Honestly, our experience has been that as buyers expand their map search in the real estate apps, they begin to realize that their dollar goes much further in neighboring Herndon. It’s hard to ignore the cost savings but with so much hype around Reston, it really gives people pause and they get nervous that Herndon may be an inferior choice. There isn’t as much online chatter and hype about Herndon in comparison to Reston, so this adds fuel to this fire.
We are here to tell you that you aren’t going to make a wrong choice. Herndon is so close to Reston that you can still take advantage of a lot of the Reston amenities and activities, even if you are not a member of the Reston HOA. The same thing goes if you purchase in Reston. Access to the pools and HOA amenities like tennis courts, basketball courts, and tot lots in Reston are generally restricted to homeowners but the walking trails are free to use and community events held at Lake Anne are generally open to the public.
You are also a short drive to Reston Town Center from Herndon and all of the other awesome shopping that is located in Reston. Vice versa, you are close to downtown Herndon and can shop at the farmers market, enjoy the shops in town, and also eat some pretty amazing food at all of the great Herndon restaurants. Checkout our video on Herndon for lots of great recommendations!
Herndon is generally more affordable and has a larger selection of homes with larger lots. If you love the contemporary and mid-century architecture of Reston but feel like the price points are too high, you can find them in Herndon. They just aren’t as abundant as they are in Reston. You find a pretty even mix of architectural styles in Herndon and Herndon has some stunning old homes that are on tree lined streets. They are charming and are walkable to downtown Herndon.
Everyone loves the architecture in Reston, but you are going to pay for it. Townhomes in Reston that have a larger footprint are cresting into the $700,000-1,000,000 price point and many of the single-family homes are now over $1,000,000. They are incredibly competitive in most cases, so we can advise you on how to bring your A-game when making an offer.
Reston has more dense forests and vegetation than Herndon, but there are plenty of areas in Herndon with lush, mature landscapes. You just have to look for them. Don’t feel like you are going to miss out on nature if you don’t live in Reston.
Both localities have Metro stops and it really isn’t much of a difference in commuting times in terms of the train. Drive times will be longer from Herndon if you’re headed to Tysons or DC, but it isn’t that significant. Both Reston and Herndon are accessible from the highways and local roads, so they are easy to access and get around to other areas. The Dulles Toll Rd is the easiest and most convenient route, but it is a toll road so be prepared to pay to use it. Route 7 is not a toll road but can get slow at points. The Route 7 expansion has really helped to ease traffic in the area.
Price vs lifestyle will be the biggest driving factors on your decision here. You have to decide what amenities are important to you and what do you want to spend to get it? Because of Reston’s focus on walkability and greenspace, the real estate in Reston is more in demand overall. If schools and more of a planned community are a priority, Reston is your place. If schools are not an issue and you want your dollar to go a bit farther, Herndon is where you should look. We don’t think you will make a bad choice.
They are both amazing areas with metro accessibility, farmers markets, W&OD Trail access, and tons of community activities for everyone at any age! You can’t go wrong with either area and because they are so close together, you can still enjoy both of them.
