Even as Alexandria’s office vacancies improve, city officials learned about a missed opportunity with Potomac Yard’s 0% vacancy rate.
During City Council’s Tuesday (Oct. 13) legislative meeting, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership staff briefed officials on economic progress since City Council in January approved ALX Forward, a framework for the city’s economic future.
Affordability issues and higher interest rates led to a rough month in real estate across Alexandria in September.
Sales for the month totaled 143, down from 167 a year before and below the five-year average of 150 for the month, according to data reported Oct. 12 by MarketStats by ShowingTime.
Alexandria’s recently reported unemployment rate was down from a year before and on the lower end of what has been seen citywide during the past year.
But like much of the rest of Northern Virginia, there also has been an exodus in the total number of city residents with jobs.
Alexandria’s apartment rental market is moving into the cooler stage of the year, and rental rates are down slightly from a year ago.
The city saw a median apartment rental rate of $2,193 — $2,008 for one-bedroom units and $2,467 for two bedrooms — in September, according to data reported Sept. 29 by Apartment List.
Alexandria households are feeling a greater impact of federal government workforce reductions than the D.C. regional average, according to a recent regional survey.
The report released last Thursday (Sept. 24) from Gallup and the Greater Washington Community Foundation, titled “Voices of the Community: DC, Maryland, Virginia,” incorporated research on federal government disruptions on the region’s residents.
Alexandria recorded a significant year-over-year decline in home sales during August as the regional and national markets slowed due to rising interest rates.
Total sales across the city for the month were 130, down 28.6% from 182 transactions in August 2025, according to figures reported by MarketStats by ShowingTime.
Alexandria’s jobless rate was stable year over year in new data but remains elevated compared to levels recorded before the Trump administration’s federal government downsizing began.
A total of 96,600 city residents were counted as employed in the civilian workforce in July, with 3,150 seeking jobs, according to figures reported Sept. 2 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Despite a year-over-year decline, median Alexandria apartment costs remain 15% above pre-pandemic rates and 26% higher than the mid-Covid low, according to new data.
August’s median city rental rates were $2,019 for one-bedroom units, $2,481 for two bedrooms and $2,205 overall, according to figures reported Aug. 26 by Apartment List.
Alexandria has seen a drop in citywide employment since the start of the second Trump administration.
Total employment reported in the city by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the first quarter of 2026 was 79,000, down 2.6% from the first quarter of 2025. Updated figures were reported Aug. 28.
Alexandria city officials are taking aggressive action to attract and retain businesses large and small, the city’s mayor said at an Aug. 26 gathering of regional officials.
“We want to be a city where businesses feel their ideas are heard and implemented,” Mayor Alyia Gaskins said at the 11th annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit.
Home sales and average sales prices across Alexandria showed year-over-year stability in July, according to new data, but the figures point to potential softening.
A total of 170 properties went to closing last month, down slightly from 174 in July 2025. That’s according to figures reported Aug. 11 by the region’s multiple-listing service Bright MLS, based on figures from MarketStats by ShowingTime.
