Author: Scott McCaffrey

A Northern Virginia native, Scott McCaffrey has four decades of reporting, editing and newsroom experience in the local area plus Florida, South Carolina and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. He spent 26 years as editor of the Sun Gazette newspaper chain. For Local News Now, he covers government and civic issues in Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church.

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NVTC seeks Alexandria input on Route 7 transit upgrades at listening tour stop

By Scott McCaffrey
City Council member Canek Aguirre discusses proposed Route 7 bus improvements (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Regional transportation officials brought their quest for input on ways to rejuvenate the Route 7 (King Street and Leesburg Pike) corridor to Alexandria on Tuesday (June 9).

“This, combined with other conversations, it’s really helpful,” said Vikram Sinha, a Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) senior program manager who leads the Envision Route 7 initiative.

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Alexandria’s unemployment outlook improves, yet regional retention challenges remain

By Scott McCaffrey
Panelists Taylor Chess, Jason Stanford, Ryan McLaughlin and Terry Clower at June 3, 2026, forum on the region’s economy (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Alexandria’s unemployment rate in April was its lowest in nearly a year, but the region still faces ongoing headwinds in keeping both jobs and workers in place, according to a panel of experts.

With 96,031 city residents counted in the civilian workforce and 3,088 looking for jobs, the city’s unemployment rate of 3.1% in April was the lowest since 3% in June 2025, according to figures reported June 3 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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Alexandria’s rents up nearly 4% since start of year but remain lower than 2025 figures

By Scott McCaffrey
The Alexandria skyline (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria’s median apartment rental cost is up 3.7% since the start of the year and stands about 3.6% higher than the metro area’s median costs, according to new data.

The city’s median apartment rental cost of $2,239 in May — $2,050 for one-bedroom units and $2,518 for two bedrooms — was up 0.6% from April, another sign that the market ramped up as winter gave way to spring.

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Alexandria’s jobless count has remained above 3,000 for nearly a full year

By Scott McCaffrey
Job interview (via Tim Gouw/Unsplash)

The number of Alexandria residents among the ranks of the unemployed stayed above 3,000 for the 11th consecutive month in March, according to new state data.

The 3,333 Alexandrians reported as seeking work in March was up 14.8% from 2,902 a year before, according to figures reported May 19 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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More public input on Route 7 bus improvements sought as planning moves toward Alexandria

By Scott McCaffrey
F20 Metrobus service runs from Tysons east to Alexandria (photo courtesy of NVTC)

As planning efforts move eastward toward Alexandria, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) has embarked on a new round of community engagement in its Envision Route 7 effort to upgrade transit options.

Both in-person and online opportunities will be available over the next month, focused on the eastern portions of what will become a 14-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line running from Tysons to Alexandria’s Mark Center.

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Alexandria sees homelessness increases among youth and Black residents

By Scott McCaffrey
Volunteers and human services personnel spread out across the region on Feb. 4 for 2026 the Point-in-Time Survey of homelessness (via Council of Governments)

Alexandria posted a significant year-over-year increase in the number of residents counted as homeless, with major upticks in the number of Black residents and children experiencing homelessness, according to new data.

A total of 189 people across the city were tabulated as experiencing homelessness in the 2026 Point-in-Time Survey, conducted in early February across the Washington region.

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Buyers, sellers active as Alexandria sees strong April home sales data

By Scott McCaffrey
Townhomes on the Potomac River in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria real estate market saw a strong start to spring, with April sales up 33% year over year.

A total of 217 properties went to closing during the month, according to data from MarketStats by ShowingTime.

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Alexandria’s unemployment rate eases but remains elevated in new data

By Scott McCaffrey
Help wanted sign (photo by Eric Prouzet/Unsplash)

Though still up more than 50% from the final days of the Biden administration, the total number of Alexandria residents recorded as unemployed in February was the second lowest over the preceding year.

A total of 3,323 city residents were counted as seeking jobs in February data reported last week by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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Median Alexandria rent grows from start of year but still lags 2025 figures

By Scott McCaffrey
Notch 8 apartments in Potomac Yard (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria’s median apartment rent rose for the fourth consecutive month in April but stands 3% lower than at the same point in 2025, according to new data.

The median apartment rental rate was $2,224 for the month — $2,040 for one-bedroom units and $2,506 for two bedrooms — according to new data from Apartment List.

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Alexandria’s unemployment rises nearly 34% year over year in latest data

By Scott McCaffrey
The Alexandria skyline (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Unemployment among city residents rose by one-third year over year to start 2026, according to new state data.

A total of 3,656 Alexandria residents were reported as seeking jobs in January, according to figures released April 16 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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Alexandria DAR chapter celebrates preservation of historic boundary marker

By Scott McCaffrey
DAR leaders at Boundary Stone SW8 rededication (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

An Alexandria patriotic organization last week rededicated one of the original D.C. boundary stones, which its members have cared for over the past three-quarters of a century.

Members of the Dr. Elisha Dick chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution held a rededication ceremony April 10 for Boundary Stone Southwest 8.

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