News from Insight Region^®

A Deeper Dive into Health and Safety of NOVA Youth 

This in-depth session will continue our January conversation in a more focused lense. We will dive deeper into the critical issues affecting the safety and well-being of youth in Northern Virginia (NOVA), providing a comprehensive exploration of the complex factors influencing students today. Building on foundational topics, we’ll examine key challenges surrounding students' perceptions of safety, mental health concerns, and substance use trends in the region.

This session is designed to provide educators, mental health professionals, community leaders, and parents with a deeper understanding of the pressing safety and health challenges facing youth in NOVA. 

When School Lunch is not Available, How do NOVA Youth Eat?
June 17, 2025 at 12:00 pm 
Zoom 

Join us for an in-depth discussion on the growing issue of food scarcity among youth in Northern Virginia. This session will explore the complex factors contributing to food insecurity in the region, the impact it has on the health and well-being of local young people, and the innovative solutions being implemented to address this critical issue.

This session is essential for educators, school administrators, nonprofit leaders, community organizers, policymakers, and anyone passionate about addressing food insecurity in Northern Virginia.

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Housing Needs of NOVA Youth
August 21, 2025 at 12:00 pm 
Zoom 

In this session, we will explore the critical issue of housing instability among youth in Northern Virginia, a growing challenge that impacts their overall well-being, educational outcomes, and future opportunities. With rising housing costs and a lack of affordable options, many young people in the region are facing uncertainty and insecurity in their living situations. Key topics will include the scope of housing instability in NOVA, impact on youth development, identifying their needs, and community solutions working to address this widespread issue. 

This session is vital for educators, social service providers, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and community leaders looking to better understand the housing challenges faced by youth in NOVA and learn about strategies to ensure that every young person has access to safe, stable housing.

Back to School: Focus on NOVA Youth Educational Performance 

As students in Northern Virginia head back to school, it's the perfect time to take a closer look at the educational performance of youth in the region. This session will explore key factors influencing academic success, challenges facing students, and the support systems that can help improve educational outcomes for all learners. Key topics will include: current trends in educational performance, barriers to success, support systems and interventions, and collaborative solutions. 

This session is designed for educators, school administrators, parents, social service providers, and community leaders looking to better understand the state of youth education in Northern Virginia and explore actionable strategies to support student success.

• Only 1.8 percent of charitable giving is dedicated to women and girls, and the share dedicated to women of color is even smaller; approximately 0.5% in the U.S. (Source: Women and Girls Index, 2023)
• In 2021, women represented 35% of the STEM workforce; up from 32% in 2010 (Source: National Science Foundation). Specifically, women make up 25% of jobs in computer science and 15% of jobs in engineering (Source: Pew Research Center, 2021)
• In evaluating STEM programming by impact on girls interest, confidence, competence and value, GirlScounts USA found that participation in even ONE program can make a difference

The 2023 Champions for Accountability Badge, awarded in partnership between the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, recognizes more than 40 employers willing to collect, share, and act on data about the diversity of their leadership. To receive the badge, an organization must operate in Virginia, Maryland, and/ or Washington DC; collect demographic data on board members and/or c-suite members and executives; and have completed the application by 31 August, 2023. By accepting their badges, the Champions commit to the following action:  

Research and Investments to support those 65 and older

Finding Our Way Back to Mental Health

The Need for Accessible, Affordable Treatment in the Midst of Collective Trauma

Report Examines Northern Virginia’s Disparities in Preschool Enrollment

Inclusive Prosperity means that every child is prepared for success  

Ready for Kindergarten, Ready for Life: The causes and consequences of Northern Virginia's preschool enrollment disparity

Exploring the broader context of Northern Virginia's exceptional rates of economic mobility

by Elizabeth Hughes, Senior Director of Insight Region^TM

Our region is a great place to raise a child, and now, Insight Region has produced one more data point to prove it.

Our next brief in the Inclusive Prosperity series—Spreading the Wealth —explores economic mobility, the likelihood that a child raised in a lower-income family will make it to the top quintile for income as an adult. The brief relies on data from Opportunity Insights, a think tank of out Harvard that has quantified rates of economic mobility for every census tract in the country. And their data show that of the region’s kids who grew up at or near poverty in the 1990s, approximately one in five achieved economic mobility, the highest rate of any metro area in the country.* Northern Virginia also had the highest rates of mobility among Black and Hispanic children; ten percent of Black children raised here in a lower-income family achieved economic mobility, four times higher than the national average.

Thirty years ago, children growing up in a lower-income family in Northern Virginia enjoyed the highest rate of economic mobility in the country; 19 percent were earning in the top quintile for household income as adults, the highest rate of economic mobility across the 50 most populous metro areas. This near universal “prosperity bump” extended across racial-ethnic groups. If history is any indication, that story will remain unchanged.

by Elizabeth Hughes, Senior Director of Insight Region^TM

Insight Region recently released its first research brief, Unequal Burden, which highlighted the state of housing affordability in Northern Virginia. The brief and the release event that we held on January 13^th (watch here) have generated a lot of questions about how we move forward as a region.

In this post, I am joined by my colleague Michelle Krocker (MK) from the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance to begin to answer some of those questions. Please check back as we continue to update this page with more responses.

by Elizabeth Hughes, Senior Director of Insight Region^TM

Northern Virginia is one of the country’s most expensive places to live, but also one of its most affordable.

Now, I know how that sounds. But look at the data—in 2019, Loudoun County had the fourth highest median housing cost among all counties and independent cities in the country, followed by Fairfax (#8), Arlington (#10), Prince William (#24), and Alexandria (#26). The same year, 72% of households had housing costs that were considered “affordable” by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and just 11% were considered severely burdened by housing costs, a rate well below the national average (14%) and other tech hubs.

A new report by the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia finds that 67% of Northern Virginians with low incomes (less than $50,000 per year for a family of four) are “severely burdened” by the cost of housing, spending over half of their income on rent, mortgage, taxes, fees, and basic utilities. Individuals and families with moderate incomes ($50,000 to $100,000 for a family of four) fare slightly better, but still over half (59 percent) cannot afford their homes and 19% spend over half of their income on housing.