Water and its issues, such as patterns of water use, have become central components in development plans in many cities and countries, particularly those face a rise in population or a decline in available water resources. Families, as the smallest units making up a community, can use water in two major ways: directly, as water used for sanitation purposes, or indirectly, as water used for cultivation of crops that are consumed by family members. The latter is termed virtual water and the amount of water used in this manner is referred to Virtual Water Footprint (VWF) of a family. The paper aims to find Citizens’ VWF and discover factors that correlate with it. A questionnaire was conducted to a number of people in three quarters of Mashhad city, Iran. The data was also analyzed to determine possible correlations between VWF and individuals characteristics. The main variable exhibiting a statistically significant correlation with VWF was families’ level of income. The findings support the idea that as a family becomes more affluent, it expends more resources. This study can be a starting point for further investigation into the mechanisms leading to this correlation. The results can inform decisions about water conservation and allocation of resources.

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