There’s no question that the pandemic changed how we live. In 2020, people were looking for physical space and literal breathing room, and residents departed major metropolitan areas in droves. Some left for small, more livable cities , while others hit the suburbs and even the exurbs—neighborhoods on the far reaches of the suburbs. Now, in 2025, in part due to rising housing costs and an increase in remote work, these areas outside of cities continue to grow.

New York Times Magazine recently reported on suburban sprawl and why we need more of it. It stated, “Last year was among the most difficult on record to buy a home; a quarter of tenants now spend more than half their income on rent and utilities.”

Cost of living is such a factor right now, and it’s undeniable that we need more housing that is affordable , accessible and meets people’s needs. And the suburbs are becoming ever popular. In fact, one U.S. suburb has grown by leaps and bounds since 2018. Read on to find out which one it is and what makes it so attractive.

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How did the report determine which suburbs grew the fastest?

To determine which suburbs grew the fastest, GOBankingRates started with 2023 U.S. Census data and identified suburbs with populations between 20,000 and 100,000 people. Because GOBankingRates was looking for suburbs that experience significant growth, they took population numbers for 2018 and then calculated the percentage change in population.

Which suburb grew the fastest?

According to GOBanking Rates, Woodbridge, Virginia’s population increased by a whopping 887% between 2018 and 2023. Wow! How is that possible? Well, turns out that while the Washington, D.C., suburb’s population was undoubtedly on the upswing, there are other factors at play here with those numbers.

For one, the U.S. Census Bureau changed the boundaries of the area. Woodbridge is known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means that the boundaries are used by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes and may change decade to decade. In this case, the Census Bureau significantly changed the Woodbridge CDP boundaries in 2010 and then reversed the changes in 2020, right in the middle of GOBankingRates sample period.

Because of the boundary shift, Woodbridge, Virginia, shows a population increase of 887%, and although this part of Prince William County did experience significant growth over that time period, the population surely didn’t go from 4,400 in 2018 to 43,443 in 2023, as the Census data shows. “It’s not that the area is not growing quickly, but not quite as fast as that number implies,” says Wayne Mattson, a Century 21 realtor who lives in Woodbridge and works throughout Northern Virginia.

That said, there was significant growth in Woodbridge between 2023 and 2025, and the current population is estimated to be 52,300, according to World Population Review. However, this growth is flattening out a bit, especially after the recent government layoffs.

What makes Woodbridge, Virginia, an attractive place to live?

As you’ll see, a lot of what attracts folks to Woodbridge, Virginia, is its location. “Woodbridge is a sweet spot,” Mattson says. “It doesn’t overdo anything, but it’s also not lacking for anything.” Let’s take a closer look at what makes Woodbridge great.

Affordable housing

With a median home price—which includes condos and townhouses—over $500,000, Woodbridge isn’t exactly affordable, at least not compared to the national median home price, which is $419,200. But compare it to nearby Alexandria, Virginia, about 18 miles up Route 95, where the median home price is $635,000, and, well, you start to get the picture.

Dustin Fox, a fifth-generation D.C. metro area resident who co-founded Fox Homes with his wife, Devon, shares that right now it’s more affordable to rent than to buy in Woodbridge, so that’s a plus for people who prefer geographic flexibility or who might not have a great credit score .

Proximity to D.C.

Woodbridge is about a 30-minute drive to Washington, D.C., but that’s without any traffic. Mattson says remote work has alleviated commuter traffic and that several neighborhoods in Woodbridge have municipal buses that go directly to the Pentagon.

Mattson previously lived in neighboring Fairfax County, but as his family grew, they needed more space and moved to Prince William County. “It felt like the end of the Earth when we moved, but within a month, we loved it.”

Proximity to Dulles tech corridor

Woodbridge also offers proximity to Loudoun County’s Dulles Tech Corridor, often called “The Silicon Valley of the East” and home to many defense and technology companies. Woodbridge is within commuting distance (about 40 minutes by car), and for many residents, Prince William County’s lower taxes make the drive more than worth it.

Proximity to military bases

Woodbridge is also commuting distance to Marine Corps Base Quantico, which is in the south end of Prince William County and employees more than 28,000 people.

Fairfax County’s Fort Belvoir, about a 20-minute drive from Woodbridge, is another top employer. It is home to several Army command headquarters, including 16 agencies of the Department of the Army, eight elements of the U. S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard, and nine DOD agencies.

Not surprisingly, seven or eight out of 10 buyers in Woodbridge work for the military, says Fox.

Amenities

Woodbridge is home to several shopping centers, malls and outlet malls, providing residents of this bedroom community with all the shopping and services they need.

The area also has many parks and recreation opportunities, so when people aren’t commuting, they can relax and enjoy the outdoors. Mattson counts Neabsco Regional Park as a favorite spot for kayaking, hiking and birding.

What does it cost to live in Woodbridge, Virginia?

According to GOBankingRates data, in Woodbridge, the total annual cost of living is $62,081, and you need $124,161 in income to live comfortably. The average home value is $506,276 to buy, and according to Zillow, the average rent for April 2025 was $2,550. For single people just needing a spot close to work, Rent.com says the average rent for a studio was $1,745.

How is the market in Woodbridge now?

The market in Woodbridge is different than areas closer to D.C., such as inside the Beltway or Fairfax County, but there’s a tone in the market as people manage uncertainty. Both Mattson and Fox say that housing inventory is growing, but with many people in the area employed by the government, people aren’t buying like they have in the past five years.

“People are worried about their jobs,” says Fox. “The worst thing for buyers and sellers is uncertainty.”

Between DOGE, tariffs and a fluctuating market, it’s taken a toll, and Fox shared numbers from the MLS for the week ending April 13, 2025. There are currently 8,288 listings in the D.C. metro area, up 47.5% from a year ago.

In Woodbridge, only 452 houses have closed this year between January and mid-April versus 521 in the same slice of 2024. Still, Fox shares that there’s still a lot of competition, prices are holding and homes continue to close within about a week.

What other suburbs grew in population?

We already know the suburbs are booming, especially the more affordable areas just a bit farther away from city centers and more established suburbs. These towns are generally commuter-friendly, with infrastructure and amenities for families. See below for GOBankingRates’s top 10 list, along with each city’s population increase between 2018 and 2023. Keep in mind that U.S. Census Bureau areas shift and may require additional information for the complete picture.

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