Virginia Beach, VA vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of July 2026

Virginia Beach, VA vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric Virginia Beach, VA Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score5225
Price Momentum7250
Inventory Health331
Affordability4015
Economic Strength6340
Rental Yield6026
Median Sale Price$383K
Price-to-Income4.84.5
Payment-to-Income28.3%27.4%
Months of Supply2
Gross Rental Yield4.4%4.3%
Overvaluation Index6020

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Virginia Beach, VA and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Virginia Beach, VA leads — Virginia Beach, VA 40/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Price Momentum: Virginia Beach, VA leads — Virginia Beach, VA 72/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Virginia Beach, VA leads — Virginia Beach, VA 33/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: Virginia Beach, VA leads — Virginia Beach, VA 63/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 40/100.
  • Rental Yield: Virginia Beach, VA leads — Virginia Beach, VA 60/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 26/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Virginia Beach, VA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Virginia Beach, VA scores higher — 52 vs 25 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Virginia Beach, VA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Virginia Beach, VA is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 4.8 in Virginia Beach, VA and 4.5 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Virginia Beach, VA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Virginia Beach, VA has stronger price momentum — 72/100 vs 50/100.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Virginia Beach, VA market brief and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.