Population 17,099 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Great Falls
Household size in Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.30 | 2.73 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.20 | 2.82 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.06 | 2.86 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.08 | 2.77 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.22 | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Great Falls is a place of big households: 3.08 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.30, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.5 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.8 | 38.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.9 | 39.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Great Falls skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.9, 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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 11.3% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 10.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.6% of households in Great Falls, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 2.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people, only two have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Great Falls
Renters in Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 34.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 36.6% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 36.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 36.3% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 5.0% of households in Great Falls rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About a third of owners (33.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people, only six have a lower share of renters.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 7.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 5.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Great Falls: just 3.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.2 points, as it has nationally. Great Falls has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Virginia cities.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1978 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1979 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1982 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Great Falls is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. That is in line with the rest of the Washington area. The median year built has moved up from 1981 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $2,000 | $1,470 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $2,001 | $1,583 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $3,057 | $1,907 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,412 | $2,236 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,412 | +$766 | +$600 | +$606 |
The median renter in Great Falls pays $3,412 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,412 a month from 2006–10, a 71% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 21.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. No other Virginia city with 5,000+ people has higher rents.
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 Great Falls
Bachelor's degrees in Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.8% | 46.6% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 81.9% | 48.2% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 80.0% | 51.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 85.4% | 53.9% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Great Falls: 85.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 6.6 points, as it has nationally. Only one other Virginia city with 5,000+ people has a higher share of college graduates.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.1% | 89.4% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.9% | 90.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.3% | 90.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.9% | 91.2% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +1.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Great Falls: 98.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 1.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only four of the 243 Virginia cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Great Falls
| Period | Great Falls | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Great Falls has been low: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 0.9 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Great Falls 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | 3.08 | 45.9 | 3.6% | 5.0% | 3.4% | 1984 | $3,412 | 85.4% | 98.9% | 3.3% |
| Dranesville | 3.19 | 39.9 | 8.4% | 12.8% | 3.2% | 1985 | $2,960 | 68.4% | 95.7% | 3.8% |
| Lowes Island | 2.89 | 39.6 | 3.7% | 7.9% | 4.1% | 1996 | $2,684 | 78.1% | 97.3% | 4.3% |
| Reston | 2.31 | 40.5 | 7.4% | 39.3% | 6.2% | 1987 | $2,294 | 72.1% | 95.9% | 4.5% |
| Wolf Trap | 2.97 | 45.7 | 5.2% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 1980 | $3,113 | 84.6% | 98.3% | 2.1% |
| Sterling | 2.90 | 35.8 | 9.9% | 25.1% | 4.9% | 1997 | $2,328 | 56.4% | 88.0% | 4.3% |
| Cascades | 2.75 | 40.2 | 5.0% | 26.7% | 4.9% | 1995 | $2,608 | 69.0% | 98.5% | 3.6% |
| Travilah | 3.20 | 50.1 | 5.7% | 7.5% | 3.8% | 1988 | $3,306 | 80.7% | 95.8% | 4.9% |
| Herndon | 3.18 | 36.6 | 9.5% | 33.4% | 5.3% | 1988 | $2,526 | 60.1% | 87.7% | 3.6% |
| Dulles Town Center | 2.54 | 35.0 | 16.4% | 70.0% | 5.3% | 2003 | $2,460 | 60.1% | 96.3% | 5.5% |
| Countryside | 2.92 | 37.0 | 9.9% | 25.7% | 5.1% | 1993 | $2,199 | 60.7% | 94.1% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Scottsbluff, NE · Bastrop, LA · Belle Glade, FL · Bellwood, IL · Belmar, NJ · Benton Harbor, MI · Berea, OH · Bethpage, NY · Bonita, CA · Bordentown, NJ
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 Great Falls. 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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