City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023

Fairfax, VA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Fairfax - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

24,478
Residents
$132,774
Median income
$677,400
Median home
$2,246
Median rent (state)

Fairfax - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Fairfax lands in the 91st percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

91st
percentile, household income
92nd
percentile, home value
87th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Fairfax, VA

Fairfax is a small city in Virginia, home to 24,478 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $132,774 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.2%. Home values in Fairfax run a median of $677,400, and the median resident age is 37.3 years. About 62.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 68.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 71 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 492% from five years earlier.

Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Virginia at 101.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,246 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Virginia, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Fairfax workers runs 20.7 minutes, with 57.0% driving alone and 25.2% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 5.3 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).

Population

24,478 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Virginia

Median Household Income

$132,774 /yr

Poverty 6.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

101.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average

How does Fairfax compare to other US cities?

Here's how Fairfax stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 91% higher than other cities
Home value 92% pricier than other cities
Median rent 87% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Fairfax's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Virginia, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

91stIncome percentile

91st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Fairfax's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$677,400 8th percentile more affordable than 8% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Fairfax $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Fairfax, VA Fairfax, VA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fairfax, VA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Fairfax, VA median $132,774/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Fairfax, VA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Fairfax, VA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 62.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
24,478
Median Income
$132,774
Median Home Value
$677,400
Median Age
37.3
Poverty Rate
6.2%
Labor force participation
68.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
62.3%

Schools

Total Schools
23
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
23,000 residents24,000 residents25,000 residents26,000 residents27,000 residents28,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 24,174 residents 26,772 residents ▲ +10.7%
Fairfax's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
71
housing units authorized
Single-Family
71
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 12
2020 10
2021 12
2022 22
2023 26
2024 71

Permit volume increased 492% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.7 minutes
Drive Alone
57.0%
Carpool
9.7%
Public Transit
3.8%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
25.2%
Other
1.6%

Based on 12,842 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Virginia - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Virginia state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Virginia state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Fairfax sits in

Cost of Living Index
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,246/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
5.3 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Virginia

Herndon
24,529 people
Brambleton
23,999 people
Chantilly
23,744 people
Chester
23,519 people
Bailey's Crossroads
25,458 people
Salem
25,477 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fairfax's 24,478 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Soledad, CA
24,476 people
World Golf, FL
24,485 people
Decatur, GA
24,470 people
Saginaw, TX
24,467 people
Zion, IL
24,466 people
Faribault, MN
24,458 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fairfax's $132,774 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lavon, TX
$132,778 median income
Chinook, WA
$132,792 median income
Cottage Grove, WI
$132,717 median income
Bethpage, NY
$132,832 median income
Lake Ketchum, WA
$132,716 median income
Bayview, TX
$132,695 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fairfax, VA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Fairfax, VA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 56.3% 6.4% 18.1% 7.9% 11.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.3% White 56.3% Black or African American 6.4% Asian 18.1% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 7.9% Two or more races 11.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Fairfax compares to nearby Virginia cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Fairfax (this city) 24,478 $132,774
Herndon 24,529 $141,418
Brambleton 23,999 $250,001
Chantilly 23,744 $143,786
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fairfax, VA?

What is the population of Fairfax, VA? +

The population of Fairfax, VA stands at 24,478 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fairfax, VA? +

Median annual household income in Fairfax runs $132,774, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fairfax? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Fairfax; the closest available measure is the Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 101.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Virginia vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Fairfax, VA? +

Fairfax's median home value sits at $677,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.