Population 132,061 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fairfax
Household size in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.80 | 2.73 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.86 | 2.82 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.86 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.76 | 2.77 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Fairfax average 2.76 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.80, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the northeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.3 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.4 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.1 | 38.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.3 | 39.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Fairfax is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.3, against 40.1 nationally. The Washington area as a whole looks much the same. The median age has climbed from 37.3 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 11.3% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 10.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.8% of households in Fairfax, well below the national share of 11.6%. Fairfax has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Virginia cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Fairfax
Renters in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.0% | 34.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.3% | 36.6% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.6% | 36.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.4% | 36.3% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Fairfax is about as common as it is nationally: 32.4% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the wider Washington area (36.3%). Just over a quarter of owners (26.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 6.3 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 7.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 5.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Fairfax: just 3.2% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 1.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1978 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1979 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1982 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Fairfax was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,654 | $1,470 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,786 | $1,583 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,184 | $1,907 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,405 | $2,236 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$751 | +$766 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Fairfax pays $2,405 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $751 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Fairfax
Bachelor's degrees in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.4% | 46.6% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 60.9% | 48.2% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 67.0% | 51.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 68.7% | 53.9% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fairfax is highly educated: about seven in ten adults 25 and older (68.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 9.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.4% | 89.4% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.9% | 90.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.0% | 90.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.8% | 91.2% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +1.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Fairfax: 94.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.3 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Fairfax than nationally: unemployment was 3.5%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.9 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Fairfax compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | 2.76 | 38.3 | 5.8% | 32.4% | 3.2% | 1982 | $2,405 | 68.7% | 94.8% | 3.5% |
| Oakton | 2.83 | 43.9 | 4.7% | 16.2% | 3.7% | 1982 | $2,635 | 80.5% | 99.1% | 2.0% |
| Fair Oaks | 2.44 | 36.5 | 5.5% | 55.5% | 5.9% | 1998 | $2,405 | 69.1% | 94.3% | 5.3% |
| Woodburn | 2.96 | 34.9 | 16.2% | 49.6% | 4.5% | 1973 | $2,757 | 62.6% | 96.8% | 0.3% |
| Burke Centre | 2.90 | 39.9 | 7.4% | 19.2% | 5.0% | 1981 | $2,692 | 65.7% | 96.1% | 6.2% |
| Vienna | 2.89 | 41.2 | 7.5% | 26.0% | 3.7% | 1975 | $2,935 | 74.7% | 95.3% | 4.0% |
| Burke | 3.20 | 40.5 | 7.9% | 10.4% | 2.2% | 1979 | $3,014 | 68.9% | 96.1% | 5.2% |
| Annandale | 3.10 | 41.1 | 10.5% | 28.2% | 4.5% | 1968 | $2,288 | 50.3% | 85.7% | 5.0% |
| Dunn Loring | 2.77 | 41.1 | 4.2% | 30.5% | 1.5% | 1984 | $3,099 | 79.5% | 96.8% | 2.4% |
| Clifton | 3.02 | 46.7 | 3.7% | 7.2% | 1.5% | 1989 | $2,463 | 74.3% | 97.6% | 4.9% |
| Wolf Trap | 2.97 | 45.7 | 5.2% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 1980 | $3,113 | 84.6% | 98.3% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Carmel, IN · Cedar Park, TX · Cary, NC · Columbus, GA · Canton, GA · Chico, CA · Cleveland, OH · Charlottesville, VA · Cheyenne, WY · Chino, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Fairfax. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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