Top 7 Suburbs Near Washington DC in 2025
Did you just find out that you have a job offer or transfer to Washington DC and you’re trying to figure out where to live? Maybe you lived here 10 or 15 years ago when you were single and ready to mingle and you’re coming back with spouse and family. And all you hear is how different things are. It’s great you found this video because I’m going to tell you about the best suburbs of DC!
Rockville, Maryland
I lived in Rockville. I loved it and I was actually single when I lived there. I think it’s a really great place for families though. To me this is like America’s quintessential hometown. Rockville has been named, by various websites and publications, a “best” city for families, for women entrepreneurs, for young professionals as well as one of the best suburbs of Washington DC. Rockville is also a very diverse community as noted in the Housing Market Analysis Report commissioned by the City.
People think of Rockville and immediately mention Rockville Pike, which is the main drag through Rockville. Rockville Pike has every single store you could ever want in your life. But each neighborhood also has a shopping / retail area as well.
Rockville is comprised of dozens of neighborhoods, each with their own personality. Less urban than Bethesda but it is busier and has more energy than the suburbs to the north. The red line metro serves Rockville with stations at Shady Grove, downtown Rockville as well as Twinbrook station south of downtown. Interstate 270 runs parallel to Rockville Pike. Rockville is the county seat for Montgomery County, MD.
There are 3 High School Pyramids here: Wootton, Richard Montgomery and Rockville High Schools. Wootton has a well ranked STEM program, and is often on the published national lists. Richard Montgomery has the county’s first IB program.
Bethesda, Maryland
While we are hanging out over here in Maryland, let’s head just south of Rockville and talk about Bethesda. The location is closer to DC and being at the interchange of 270 and 495, you can easily hop on either highway to get where you need to go. I can’t guarantee it will be at the speed of light because traffic is tough all over this area, but it’s a fantastic location.
More urban than Rockville, Bethesda has an energy unmatched by other areas in suburban Maryland. There is a lot of great shopping downtown and in Bethesda Row, a lot of well-known trendy restaurants and a lot of long time local places too. And here’s something that most people won’t tell you – a “hole in the wall” restaurant here in Bethesda is here for a reason, and is always worth trying. I’ve been shocked at how great the food is at some of the restaurants with let’s say, zero ambiance.
Bethesda also has a rich arts community. There’s the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club and several other theatres for performing arts – Round House Theatre and Strathmore in North Bethesda.
Public schools here are top rated, which is why many people choose to move here, and why property values hold as a result. The high school pyramids are Walt Whitman, Bethesda Chevy Chase and Walter Johnson – all super highly rated and sought after.
Vienna, Virginia
If you want to know what a cross between Bethesda and Rockville is but on the Virginia side – enter Vienna.
People move to Vienna for the schools, family activities and events, a slower pace of life and green space. Vienna has a main street, called Maple Avenue. There’s a lot packed into this strip. This isn’t the boring suburbs by any stretch, there are a wide variety of ethnic foods options on Maple Ave. Shopping is nearby too – you are just a couple miles from Tyson’s Corner.
The town of Vienna has 12 Parks. The W&OD (Washington and Old Dominion) Trail goes right through Vienna. The entire trail is 45 miles and runs from Shirlington in South Arlington to Purcellville, Virginia.
Schools are well ranked and offer robust academic and sports programs being part of the Fairfax County School System.
Homes here are costlier though, with prices running similar to what you would find in Bethesda. Generally my buyer clients find that something in the $1.2 – $1.6M range is what they will need to spend to get enough house and land for their family.
Arlington, Virginia
When people look to move out of DC, most often Arlington, Virginia is at the top of the list. Arlington offers such a variety of lifestyles while having a location so convenient to DC and the whole metro area.
You will notice when looking at a map that Arlington is divided into North and South. Route 50 bisects Arlington and the streets to the north are designated with “N” in their name and to the south, “S.” Arlington-ites will tell you that there’s no difference and they are all one county. But that’s not a uniform conclusion.
North Arlington is a combination of residential with most homes above the $1M price point. There is a retail corridor along Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards, running through neighborhoods like Rosslyn, Court House, Clarendon, Ballston. Key to this area is the metro accessibility via the Orange Line.
South Arlington is geographically smaller compared to North Arlington, but within itself it has very diverse vibes. You will find quieter residential neighborhoods and then you’ll find what’s turning into a city on its own over on Route 1. That’s the Crystal City / National Landing area where Amazon is. Also in South Arlington is Shirlington, which has its own little downtown and a similar feel to Clarendon in North Arlington.
Arlington boasts that anyone in the county is within a 10 minute walk to a park. Their Parks & Recreation Program is outstanding.
The Arlington School system has three high schools – Yorktown, Washington Liberty and Wakefield. The county is more urban than other suburbs but what people love about living here is the sense of community, the walkability and the easy access to almost everything in the area.
Falls Church City, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is nicked the “Little City” for good reason! Contained within 2.2 square miles, the population of Falls Church City is 14,000. It is the second smallest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It has its own government and its own school system.
This is one of the most coveted areas in which to live. The schools are the reason families flock here. The small school system is top rated, and because it’s so small, it’s run very efficiently. Falls Church City Public Schools serves 2600 students. There are 5 schools in total – a Preschool, Mount Daniel Elementary which is Kindergarten to 2nd grade; Oak Street Elementary is 3rd to 5th grade; Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, and Meridian High School. All grades participate in the IB, International Baccalaureate Program.
It’s not easy to buy a house in Falls Church City. There are always bidding wars here. A single-family home here will be in the high $1M – $2M range. People say it’s worth it though for the relaxed pace, family friendly lifestyle, great schools, and the little downtown area with a lot of cool mom & pop places.
Silver Spring, MD
Silver Spring isn’t often an area that gets a lot of love, but there is a lot to talk about in Silver Spring. The first thing you may notice when looking at a map is the location is so convenient. It’s very close to the 95/495 interchange on the north side of DC. You can get into DC super quickly as well as up to Baltimore in about 30 minutes.
Here’s what people love about Silver Spring. There is a down-to-earth quality here that seems to be harder to find these days. This isn’t a “keeping up with the Jones’s” kind of neighborhood.
Silver Spring is huge and there are dozens of neighborhoods. The areas further north and closer to the ICC – Intercounty Connector have more land and homes priced more affordably than further south. But you can still find homes in Silver Spring well under $1M, which in this area is hard to find.
Even though the entirety of Silver Spring is huge – schools are typically smaller neighborhood schools with lots of families walking to school and the boundary areas being very tight, especially closer to the beltway. It’s “denser” living in the southern part of Silver Spring, so the school catchment area is tight. While you are part of this large “Silver Spring” address, your neighborhood feels like a small town.
Burke & West Springfield, Virginia
Burke and West Springfield are next to each other and they have a very similar personality and feel. People move to these two areas because of two amazing reasons. Affordable housing and really great schools. Some areas have better rankings than others, but in general the scores are 7 & 8’s on Great Schools, and a few with mid level scores peppered throughout.
There are single family detached homes in a variety of price points but sweet spot for prices here is $600,000 – low $800,000’s.
There are great things for kids in Springfield. It’s like kid’s paradise. So many of the parks have playgrounds. Kings Park Community has 4 playgrounds alone to serve the 1100 homes in the community and the Timbers has Brookfield Park, which has a great playground.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park is here. The St. James is unbelievable. They have a kids playground inside called Super Awesome and Amazing. The kids can test their skills at indoor rock climbing, traversing the overhead obstacle course, visit the Virtual Reality Games or go to the indoor waterpark. They offer camps and leagues where you can learn to play sports. This is literally worth moving to Springfield for, no joke.
