Reston Makes Money’s ‘Best Places to Live’ List

Reston has been recognized by Money Magazine as one of the 2014 Best Places to Live.

Money biennially ranks the 50 best small cities (with populations between 50,000 and 300,000) in the country, looking at such things as “great jobs, strong economies, affordable homes, excellent schools,” and more. It starts out with 781 candidates.

Reston’s rank is No. 10.  Two years ago, Reston also made the magazine’s list, coming in at No. 7.

Here is what the magazine has to say about Reston:

Reston was the first modern planned community in the country, and the vision of its founder (who still lives there) has held up beautifully.

The city is made up of five woodsy “villages,” which encompass a range of lakes, pools, shopping areas, golf courses, and more. Fifty-five miles of paths wind through these communities, ensuring that most homes are within a half-mile walk of a village center.

The city’s de facto downtown is the lively if generic Reston Town Center mall, which has the usual assortment of shops and eateries, plus a pavilion that hosts concerts and, in winter, ice-skating.

The headquarters of ComScore and Rolls-Royce North America are also located in Town Center, along with a Google office.

Traffic in the area can be brutal, but things are looking up for folks who don’t work in town: An extension of the D.C. ­Metro opened in July, and it whisks Restonians to the center of Washington in a speedy 40 minutes. 

(Mistake alert: Money has a nice picture of a paddleboarder on a Reston lake. Caption credit says “City of Reston.” If you live here you know that Reston is not a city, but that is for a whole other discussion).

Money points out some Reston stats such as a population of 61,177, a median family income of $142,404, median home price of $395,550 and projected job growth of 1.8 percent.

Here’s Money’s 2014 list:

1. McKinney, Texas

2. Maple Grove, Minnesota

3. Carmel, Indiana

4. Castle Rock, Colorado

5. Kirkland, Washington

6. Columbia and Ellicott City, Maryland

7. Clarkstown, New York

8. Ames, Iowa

9. Rochester Hills, Michigan

10. Reston, Virginia