More Northern Virginians are moving to Richmond and Winchester

State of play: Northern Virginia has seen the highest out-migration rate per capita this decade out of all the state's metro areas, says the report.

• Both Fairfax County and Alexandria City saw their populations decline between 2020 and 2023 thanks to out-migration, according to the report.
• And only 11 more people moved into Loudoun County last year than departed — meanwhile, the county was seeing about 10,000 more residents arrive than leave a decade ago.

The intrigue: Many NoVa people are headed to the Winchester and Richmond metro areas, says the report, contributing to a resident boom in both regions.

• Richmond's seen a historic influx of new residents over the past three years.
• And the four counties that saw the biggest population percentage jumps between 2022 and 2023 were all in the Richmond metro area's vicinity (New Kent, Goochland, Louisa, and Caroline).
• Meanwhile, Winchester was the state's fastest-growing metro area during that period, seeing a 4.6% population increase — almost five times that of the state as a whole.

Zoom in: The median sales price for a home in Winchester and Richmond was $395,000 as of December, says Redfin.

• Compare that to the $602,500 median sales price for a D.C. home during the same month.

What we're watching: The DMV's largest employer — the federal government — hasn't enforced an across-the-board plan when it comes to getting employees back into the office, despite pleas from Mayor Bowser and the White House.

• Should a federal office policy be enacted — or abandoned for good — it would likely continue to affect where D.C. workers choose to live.