Alexandria leaders have joined counterparts from across the region in voicing reservations about a proposed consolidation of local bus systems in Northern Virginia.
If enacted, the proposal would roll Alexandria’s DASH system into a broader future operation spanning two counties and two cities that would have a service area totaling about 450 square miles and a population of more than 1.5 million.
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 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.
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 may not be ground zero in the growing contentious public debate over the impact of data centers. But the city is gearing up to address an increasing number of indirect consequences.
Even if not located in the city, data centers “still have regional impacts — they don’t stop at a city line or county line,” Mayor Alyia Gaskins said at the Aug. 26 Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit.
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.
Alexandria apartment rents have increased since the start of the year but remain below the market’s mid-2025 peak costs, according to a new analysis.
The median citywide apartment rent of $2,230 in July — $2,042 for one-bedroom units and $2,508 for two bedrooms — was down 2.7% from a year before, according to data released July 29 by Apartment List.
A new Alexandria townhouse development was saluted July 29 for its creative development plan and focus on providing affordable homeownership opportunities.
Housing Alexandria’s Cardinal Path project at 4575 Seminary Road fills a key gap in the local housing market, making it a role model, according to the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance.
The number of Alexandria residents counted as unemployed in June was at the highest level since March and stood 36% higher than at the start of the second Trump administration, according to new state data.
A total of 95,925 city residents were employed in the civilian workforce, with 3,120 looking for work, resulting in a jobless rate of 3.1% in June.
