Dale City Makes Money Magazine's 2014 Top 50 Places to Live List

Dale City ranks No. 37 in Money Magazine’s Top 50 “Best Places to Live in America” this year.

The list ranks the 50 best small cities (pop. between 50,000 and 300,000) in the country. Cities are ranked on criteria like housing affordability, economic strength, excellence of schools and more.

The only other community in Virginia to place among the Top 50 was Reston, coming in at No. 10. Vienna made the list’s top 3 in 2013 and Leesburg came in at No. 35.

Here’s what Money Magazine had to say about Dale City:

• Population: 71,786
• Median family income: $101,070
• Median home price: $249,900
• Average property taxes: $2,892
• Projected job growth: 10.3 percent

“This idyllic Washington, D.C. suburb was the vision of late real estate developer Cecil Hylton, who built homes all over the northern Virginia area. These days, Hylton still has a lot to be proud of. Dale City is one of the most diverse little places on the Best Places list, with strong Black and Latino communities. Its large waterpark and farmers market draw visitors from around the area, while locals also enjoy the many services and attractions in nearby Woodbridge.

“One detail mars Hylton’s vision of perfection – traffic. Dale City has the dubious honor of having the highest percentage of people with commutes over 45 minutes on our list.”

What do you think of Dale City’s ranking? Share your thoughts in the Comments box.

Image: This is the photo that appears with the “Best Places to Live” list in Money magazine. Courtesy of Prince William County.