Reston Ranks Among Best for Rich and Single

Put down your $14 craft cocktail and listen up: Reston is one of the best places for the rich and single.

That is a subcategory of Money Magazine’s 2014 “Best Places to Live” list, on which Reston was ranked No. 10 on Monday. Reston made the list two years ago as well, when it came in at No. 7. Money picks the best places with populations of 50,000 to 300,000 based on a strong economy, access to good jobs and recreational amenities, among others.

Money’s subset of Best Places to Be Rich and Single includes “a disproportionate number of wealthy people who aren’t yet paired off. To create this list, we considered all places where singles represent at least 30 percent of the population, then ranked the cities by median income. (NOTE: We make no promises about youth or attractiveness.)”

Reston comes in at No. 5, behind Brookline, Mass., Lower Merion, Pa., Newton, Mass., and our neighbor to the east, Arlington, Va.

Money says 31 percent of Reston’s population of 61,000 is single. The median family income in Reston is $142,404.

Says the magazine:

Reston, which is No. 10 on our Best Places list, prides itself on being the country’s first modern planned community. Because the city was designed around its five residential “villages,” it doesn’t have a traditional downtown, but that’s not so say that there’s nowhere for singles to mingle. Reston Town Center is the city’s main gathering spot, and offers socializing opportunities ranging from evening painting classes and classic film screenings to running workshops and wine tastings.

Lake Anne Plaza is another popular spot for shopping, snacking or just hanging out by the lake enjoying the free Wi-Fi.

For more serious nightlife — or to commute to their high-paying jobs — many residents make the trek to Washington, D.C., a trip that’s gotten quicker and easier with the new D.C. metro extension. Now, you can take the Silver Line from Reston to the capital in about 40 minutes.