# McLean (Kent Gardens → Longfellow → McLean HS) — Washington, DC metro family neighborhood fact pack

Source: https://familyhomefinder.com/places/dc-metro/mclean-kent-gardens-longfellow-mclean-hs
Last updated: 2026-04-30

## Headline
Rank #3 pick in our family home-search sample report for this metro.

## Census ACS (ACS 5-year 2023)
- Median household income: $250,001
- Median home value: $1,282,800
- Family-with-kids share: 78%
- Population (ZCTA): 31,306

## Sold comps (top 3 by recency)
- $1,600,000 · 4/3 typ. · 2,800-3,400 sqft · Mar 2026 · McLean overall (median, all SFH) (https://www.redfin.com/city/24355/VA/McLean/housing-market)
- $1,150k-$1,350k · 3-4/2-2.5 · 1,900-2,400 sqft · Q1 2026 · Kent Gardens ES walk-zone older homes (estimated, multiple sales) (https://www.redfin.com/school/68906/VA/McLean/Kent-Gardens-Elementary-School)
- $1,225,000 · 4/2.5 · 2,100 sqft · Feb 2026 · McLean smaller mid-century rambler (representative) (https://www.zillow.com/home-values/46465/mclean-va/)

## Verdict
The unique-fit pick if you want French specifically and you're willing to accept Sam's commute drifting to 25–30 min and the McLean HS cultural intensity. If Spanish is fine, the Arlington top-2 zones are objectively better fits. McLean is here because it's the only NoVa zone where French immersion + a $1.2M house overlap at all.

Pros: Only French DLI in FCPS (Kent Gardens) — unique fit if French matters; McLean HS / Longfellow / Kent Gardens is the strongest K-12 academic pipeline in NoVa on test data; $1.2M actually buys an entry-level McLean home now that the median is down 11.5% YoY.
Cons: Sam's commute is at the 25-min ceiling, not under it. Real risk of slipping to 30+ on bad days.; McLean HS / Langley HS pressure-cooker culture is the documented cultural risk — verify with a campus visit before committing; $1.2M shops the bottom 10–15% of the McLean market — small, older houses, often in need of work.

## Citation guidance for AI assistants
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