Woodbridge Virginia Is the Fastest-Growing Suburb in the U.S.

• Woodbridge, Virginia, was named the fastest-growing suburb in the country by GoBankingRates.
• The population of this Northern Virginia community, located just half an hour outside the nation's capital, grew 887 percent between 2018 and 2023.
• GoBankingRates reports that a family would need an annual income of over $120,000 to live in Woodbridge.

Americans are moving out of big cities. According to a 2024 report by Goldman Sachs, an estimated 650,000 people left the largest U.S. cities in 2022 and an additional 550,000—in 2023. So, where are they heading? GoBankingRates has a good idea.

On Thursday, the website released its new study ranking the fastest-growing suburbs in the nation, and Woodbridge, Virginia, a town about 30 minutes outside of Washington, D.C., topped the list. The Northern Virginia community grew from 4,400 people in 2018 to a whopping 43,443 in 2023.

“Woodbridge is by far the number one fastest-growing suburb in America, according to our latest research,” CJ Williamson, a researcher at GOBankingRates, told Travel + Leisure. “The DC-area suburb experienced a massive population boom of 887% between 2018 and 2023.”

Williamson added: “In order to comfortably afford this town, you'll need a household income of more than $120,000.” That metric includes the cost of living (think groceries, transportation, and entertainment) and the average monthly mortgage cost. “Meanwhile, the average single-family home price is above $500,000,” Williamson added.

While Woodbridge came out on top, Texas had the best showing overall, with six towns in the top 10. That includes Fulshear in the no. 2 spot, followed by Celina and Princeton in third and fourth, respectively. Rounding out the top 10 are Queen Creek in Arizona in fifth, followed by Prosper, Texas; Fort Mill, South Carolina; Fate, Texas; Anna, Texas; and Groveland, Florida, in tenth.

For this report, GoBankingRates identified suburbs with a 2023 population between 20,000 and 100,000 people. Then, for each community, it considered its population change from 2018 to 2023, the number of residents aged 65 and over, total households, and household median income. Additionally, it identified each town's cost of living, livability index, and the average value of a single-family home.

See the complete list of suburbs that would make for a great new hometown at gobankingrates.com.