Some of the very top public schools and toniest real estate in Northern Virginia are nestled among the forested roads of Great Falls. Comparable in reputation to Reston or McLean, Great Falls is woodsier, more exclusive, and less “big city” than these other hubs. If you value privacy, quiet, and discreet, dignified good living, this is the place for you. It’s also the place for several national politicians, who have made their homes in this gorgeous old-money haven. For well-heeled D.C. commuters, a home in Great Falls is all part of the big picture.
CNN named Great Falls the country’s “Top Earning Town” in 2011, and prosperity abounds here on an ongoing basis. The median household income comes in at just under $200,000, a mind-boggling three times the state average. A full 97% of residents hold white collar jobs, mostly in technology. Interestingly, the rate of resident artists and designers is also statistically quite high! (Of course, the percentages are somewhat skewed by the low population density, owing to the enormous tracts of land on which all homes sit in Great Falls!) The crime rate is virtually non-existent. Talk about an enviable place to raise a family… no matter the composition thereof.
All these perks and accolades come with a literal price! Most homes in Great Falls sell for at least a cool million. The median home price is listed as $950,300. Anecdotally, I can say looking through the local MLS that homes below that figure are few and far between! Of course, they are all huge, roomy manses set back deep on enormous lots shaded by mature trees, so that also explains it! In any case, this is not a budget neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination.
A significant cultural center for Great Falls is River Bend County Park, the site of many community holiday celebrations: fireworks on the 4th of July, tree lighting during the Christmas season, egg hunts on Easter, and many similar festivities. The Fairfax County schools are widely regarded to be among the best in the entire nation, which only adds to the overall desirability of life here.
