Official Federal Data
Fairfax city, Virginia
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Population 25,026
9 Sources
Updated August 12, 2026
$132,348 up from the baseline named below
Median Income (nominal) vs 2019
$80,734 national
2.9% up from the baseline named below
Unemployment vs 2024
4.3% national
13,770
Labor Force
62.4% up from the baseline named below
Bachelor's+ vs 2019
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household (nominal)
$132,348 up from 2019 vs 2019
Per Capita
$63,647 up from 2019 vs 2019
Mean Household
$178,337 up from 2019 vs 2019
Median Household (cost-of-living adjusted)
$121,532 metro RPP 108.9
Poverty Rate
9.1% down from 2019 vs 2019
Median Income Comparison
Fairfax city$132,348
Virginia$93,170
National$80,734
Cost-of-living adjustment uses the BEA all-items regional price parity for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 108.9 against a national average of 100 (2024). BEA publishes regional price parity at state and metropolitan level only; there is no county figure, so the metro index stands in for Fairfax city and the adjusted median is an approximation. Per capita and mean household income above are nominal and carry no adjustment.
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
CohortsShare of total population
Under 18 · 24.8%
18-34 · 22.9%
35-54 · 25.7%
55-64 · 12.6%
65+ · 14.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
90.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
up from national +1.1 pts vs national
62.4%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
up from national +26.7 pts vs national
29.5%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
up from national +15.4 pts vs national
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
25,026
Population
13,770
Labor Force
Employed
13,260
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
2.9% up from 2024 +0.5 pts vs 2024
Mean Commute 2 min above national avg
28.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
29.1%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.
- Cost of living erodes income: Local prices run 8.9% above the national average, so the nominal median of $132,348 is worth $121,532 at national average prices. BEA publishes price parity at metro level, not county level.
- Talent advantage: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment exceeds the national average by 26.7 pts, supports knowledge-economy and tech attraction.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 3,980 workers (21.5% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $49,762. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 4,644 and is counted separately.
- Wage stratification: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services averages $124,680 while Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation averages $25,304, a 4.9x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
7 sub-sectors at LQ ≥ 1.5
Largest grouping among them is Professional, Scientific & Technical Services Cluster at 30.3% of the employment across all of them, which signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
11,331
Employment in the sub-sectors listed
3.74x
Peak sub-sector LQ
Sub-Sector Detail
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
3.74x 1,127
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
2.16x 3,428
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
2.15x 587
Ambulatory Health Care Services
2.00x 2,591
Personal and Laundry Services
1.87x 430
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
1.67x 340
Food Services and Drinking Places
1.58x 2,828
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, screened against local siting constraints. Source: BLS QCEW
0.21x
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
108 employed
Screened on industrial power cost, rail-truck intermodal access, land base.
Industrial electricity in Virginia costs 9.45¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025).
Virginia has 7 rail-truck intermodal terminals, the nearest 48 miles from the city.
Land area 6 sq mi, larger than 0% of US counties.
Sources: EIA, BTS NTAD, Census Gazetteer.
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers concentrates at 3.74x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
- Cluster depth: 7 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, and no single source of demand accounts for more than 30.3% of the employment across them, the largest being business and professional services. Demand reaches this base from more than one market rather than from a single one.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064, B25004
$722,600 up from the baseline named below
Median Home Value vs 2019
$2,245 up from the baseline named below
Rent/Mo vs 2019
69.9% down from the baseline named below
Owner-Occ vs 2019
1.7% down from the baseline named below
Vacancy vs 2019
0.9% available
for rent or sale
for rent or sale
5.5x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Stretched
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
HUD publishes these by FMR area, which may cover more than one county · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$1,953/mo
1 Bedroom
$2,015/mo
2 Bedroom
$2,246/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,835/mo
4 Bedroom
$3,332/mo
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,748/mo, from a renter median of $69,900) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 46.4% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 25.4% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
- Stretched market: Home value to income ratio of 5.5x is well above the ~4.1x national average; attainable workforce housing may be a recruitment friction.
- Rent affordability gap: None of the 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $69,900 can pay without cost burden (~$1,748/mo), and 46.4% of renter households are already cost-burdened, 25.4% severely so; workforce housing cost burden warrants attention.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23001, B23025, B08303, B08301
15,298 up from the baseline named below
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 2 min above national avg
28.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
29.1%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
88.7%
of prime-age population
Prime-age rate numerator is civilian employed (B23001); the denominator is total population aged 25-54 (B01001), which also includes armed forces.
of population age 16 and over (19,434)
up from 2019 vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003
Bachelor's+
62.4% up from 2019 vs 2019
HS Diploma+
90.7% down from 2019 vs 2019
Institutions in Fairfax city
The IPEDS institutional directory lists no college, university, or technical school located in Fairfax city. Any training pipeline serving this city runs through institutions outside it, which this page does not aggregate.
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
20.5%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 12.6% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
59.9%
Service
14.8%
Sales & Office
16.1%
Construction / Maint.
3.8%
Production / Transport
5.4%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 60% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 13,260 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Healthy participation: 70.9% labor force participation reflects a steady, available local workforce.
- Talent pipeline: no college, university, or technical school is located in Fairfax city per the IPEDS institutional directory, so any training pipeline serving it runs through institutions outside the county.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 9 federal data sources.
Sample AI Insight
Fairfax city shows meaningful potential for motor vehicle and parts dealers attraction, with a 3.74x concentration and 1,127 jobs in this sub-sector.
The concentrated base spans motor vehicle and parts dealers, professional, scientific, and technical services, and amusement, gambling, and recreation industries, and no single source of demand accounts for more than 30.3% of the employment across them, the largest being business and professional services. Supply-chain recruitment has more than one demand base to work from.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2024 annual
BLS LAUS2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
BEA Regional Price Parity2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
American Community Survey figures on this page are 2020-2024 five-year averages rather than single-year counts. A five-year estimate pools 60 months of survey responses, so each value describes the period as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Fairfax city, Virginia, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Fairfax city, Virginia?
25,026 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Fairfax city, Virginia?
$132,348 in nominal dollars (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates). Adjusted for local prices using the BEA all-items regional price parity for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (108.9 against a national average of 100), that is $121,532 at national average prices. BEA publishes regional price parity at metro level; there is no county-level figure.
What is the unemployment rate in Fairfax city, Virginia?
2.9% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
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