Welcome to Just Outside DC — the only local newsletter with more variety than a chameleon standing in a bowl of Skittles.

THE BIG IDEA

Data centers are fueling Loudoun's tax base explosion.

If you thought Loudoun County home prices couldn't go any higher, think again. The county's residential property values are skyrocketing, and residents of LoCo are about to feel the heat when it comes to their tax bill.

According to the 2025 assessment data, the average single-family home in Loudoun now costs a jaw-dropping $983,625 — that's a hefty $72,797 more than last year. Townhouses aren't far behind, with an average price tag of $633,998, while condos clock in at $439,521.

But the surge isn’t from just the county's red-hot real estate demand. The data center boom now accounts for a massive 22.9% of the county's total property tax base.

The county's taxable base is up a staggering 19.5% to a total of $170.5 billion thanks to both existing property value hikes and new construction.

Residents of Loudoun: brace yourselves for some serious sticker shock when those assessment notices arrive.

Side note — this story has been an excellent excuse to dust off some old memes from previous newsletter issues regarding this topic:

Bulletin Board 📌 

Reader Restaurant Recommendation: One of our readers, Mark, recommends you guys check out Yalla Pita in Oakton.

You know this place is good because they don’t even have a website. Just a Facebook page and a phone number — straight up gangster.

They started with a humble food truck parked by a gas station in 2024, and quickly relocated to a brick and mortar location just a few months later to keep up with all the demand.

QUICK HITS

• Every year, George Mason University’s Pakistani Student Association hosts a pretend wedding for fun. Here are some of the highlights from last semester’s event 🥻

• A former alumna independently donated $60M to Madeira School… completely anonymously 😳 

• MicroStrategy (Tysons) has rebranded to Strategy with a big B at the end, to reflect their strategy of buying more and more Bitcoin. In the words of Justin Timberlake… “drop the Micro… just Strategy… it’s cleaner.” 🅱️

LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN

• Super Bowl Watch Parties | check out this comprehensive list of places screening the game around DC and NoVA 🏈 

• James Bond in Motion | props, to-scale models, and cars from the movie series on display at The International Spy Museum 🍸️ 

• St. Ann Giant Used Book Sale | hundreds if not thousands of used books under one roof in Arlington tomorrow morning 📚️ 

• 20s-40s Social Hangout | grab your friends and enjoy a night of games, good food, and craft drinks on the top floor of Punch Bowl Social in Arlington tonight (lots of stuff happening in Arlington this weekend, eh?) 🍻 

• Schmigadoon! | the world-premiere musical of the hit show. Two doctors go backpacking in a last-ditch attempt to save their failing relationship, get lost in the woods, and end up trapped in a magical town called Schmigadoon 🎭️ 

• GMU Basketball | the men’s and women’s team play the University of Rhode Island tomorrow 🏀 

• February Family Day | craft your own Victorian-style Valentine’s Day cards tomorrow at the Library of Congress 💌 

• Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers | a screening of the award-winning Aardman short film at Capital One Hall in Tysons tomorrow, accompanied by a live brass band 🐧 

• Valentine’s Chocolate Exchange | an early ladies V-Day gathering at Tilly Kitchen (in Chantilly lol) hosted by The Girlfriend Hour tomorrow night! 💝 

• O1V First Friday | live music, delicious food, and more tonight at October One Vineyard in downtown Leesburg 🍇 

• Art in the Attic | a pop-up indoor art show at Madison Street Tattoo in Alexandria tomorrow evening 🖼️ 

• Galentine’s Sip and Shop | complimentary drinks, photo booths, and more at Mode on Mara boutique in Fairfax tonight 🍷 

Thanks so much for reading today’s issue of Just Outside D.C.

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