City · Fairfax city, Virginia

Fairfax, Virginia

Fairfax is a city in Fairfax city, Virginia, part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. It has 25,026 residents. Fairfax, Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 94 out of 100 (very high), ranking #916 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Virginia it ranks #98 of 375 cities and towns. It ranks best on gyms and fitness centers (high), mental health providers (high) and access to exercise opportunities (high). It ranks worst on primary care physicians (low), property crime rate (high) and drought exposure (high).

94Very high

Quality-of-life score: #916 of 15,651 cities and towns
Virginia: #98 of 375 in VA
Population: 25,026 (2020-2024)
Land area: 6 mi²
Density: 4,010.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 5126496

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 68 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety83#2,637/15,637
Economy90#1,537/15,631
Housing37#9,370/14,977
Health74#4,022/15,609
Healthcare73#4,295/15,650
Environment68#4,895/15,453
Education76#3,795/15,649
Infrastructure96#615/15,650
Community99#121/15,651
Leisure & amenities100#17/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fairfax, Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Fairfax city value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Gyms and fitness centers · high7.5 /10k
100/100Virginia 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFairfax city value
Mental health providers · high2,388 /100k
100/100Virginia 284 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFairfax city value
Access to exercise opportunities · high100.0%
100/100Virginia 83.8%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFairfax city value
Traffic deaths · low3.2 /100k
100/100Virginia 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataFairfax city value
Voter turnout · high86.8%
100/100Virginia 70.7%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionFairfax city value
Restaurants and bars · high25.8 /10k
99/100Virginia 8.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsFairfax city value

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low4 /100k
0/100Virginia 76 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFairfax city value
Property crime rate · high2,917 /100k
2/100Virginia 1,354 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationFairfax city value
Drought exposure · high79%
13/100Virginia 70%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAFairfax city value
Home price to income ratio · high5.5×
15/100Virginia 4.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Mammography screening · low39.0%
16/100Virginia 47.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFairfax city value
Reading scores · low2.85
22/100Virginia 3.16United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteFairfax city value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
23,531 (2015-2019) → 25,026 (2020-2024)
+6.4%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
0.5 /1k (2021) → 0.9 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+76%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Public transit commutersWorsening
8.0% (2015-2019) → 3.9% (2020-2024)
−4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B08301US 5.0% → 3.2%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
94.0% (2015-2019) → 90.7% (2020-2024)
−3.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
47.9% (2015-2019) → 51.1% (2020-2024)
+3.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
4.8× (2015-2019) → 5.5× (2020-2024)
+14%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Fairfax, Virginia improved on 2 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Commute−3.5 min31.5 min → 28.0 min
Household income+13%$116,979 → $132,348

Declined3

Inequality+0.0570.405 → 0.462
Transit use−4.1 points8.0% → 3.9%
Price / income+0.7×4.8× → 5.5×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Fairfax, Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	31.5 min2015-2019	28.0 min2020-2024	−3.5 min	Improved	83%
Bachelor's degree or higher	60.8%2015-2019	62.4%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Broadband subscriptions	95.4%2015-2019	96.7%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Child poverty rate	7.3%2015-2019	6.7%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Effective property tax rate	0.93%2015-2019	0.85%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	30%
High school diploma or higher	94.0%2015-2019	90.7%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Home price to income ratio	4.8×2015-2019	5.5×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	38%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4052015-2019	0.4622020-2024	+0.057	Declined	14%
Median household income	$116,9792015-2019	$132,3482020-2024	+13%	Improved	21%
Poverty rate	9.3%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Public transit commuters	8.0%2015-2019	3.9%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Declined	8%
Rent as share of income	29.4%2015-2019	30.6%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Rent-burdened households	47.9%2015-2019	51.1%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Unemployment rate	4.1%2015-2019	3.3%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.5%2015-2019	9.5%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	34%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Fairfax, Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fairfax, Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Fairfax, Virginia itself moved −7.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

25,026 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

9,155 households (±117)

Fairfax, Virginia
Virginia share

Under $25k8.4%772
$25k–50k11%975
$50k–75k9.2%840

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

9,155 households (±117)

Fairfax, Virginia
Virginia share

Own70%6,399
Rent30%2,756

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

13,084 workers (±396)

Fairfax, Virginia
Virginia share

Drive alone53%6,876
Carpool10%1,347
Public transit3.9%†515

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Fairfax city, the county holding most of Fairfax's residents.

Fairfax city has 2,028 employer establishments, 809 for every 10,000 residents (3.26× the US rate of 248; 3.35× Virginia's), with 26,981 paid employees at an average annual pay of $63,719. The Census Bureau also counts 3,937 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,028; 3,937 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 809; US 248 · Virginia 241
Paid employees: 26,981
Average annual pay: $63,719; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Fairfax city by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	284	113	5.44×More than typical	4,538	$48,089	195
Legal services	203	81	15.1×More than typical	989	$98,986	60
Restaurants and other eating places	188	75	4.08×More than typical	3,151	$25,125	19
Offices of other health practitioners	103	41.1	6.76×More than typical	920	$54,489	86
Computer systems design and related services	102	40.7	9.40×More than typical	2,272	$103,032	82
Full-service restaurants	86	34.3	4.47×More than typical	1,683	$28,601	13
Lessors of real estate	82	32.7	2.66×More than typical	301	$60,611	478
Personal care services	76	30.3	6.35×More than typical	303	$36,238	134
Limited-service restaurants	72	28.7	3.58×More than typical	1,130	$21,635	3
Offices of dentists	59	23.5	5.84×More than typical	348	$64,813	22
Management, scientific and technical consulting	55	21.9	3.27×More than typical	607	$125,644	218
Home health care services	51	20.3	16.8×More than typical	2,505	$34,864	49

Rank places for an industry Open Fairfax city

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 25,070 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $245.4M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Fairfax, Virginia: $9,808 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $245.4M; −43% vs FY2025
Per resident: $9,808; US $1,994
Sole-source: 14%; US 30%
Single offer: 35%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Air Force$84.8M35%
Department of Veterans Affairs$33.3M14%
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$30.5M12%
Department of the Navy$21.1M8.6%
Department of the Army$17.2M7.0%
Federal Aviation Administration$16M6.5%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$15.1M6.1%
Offices, Boards and Divisions$6.6M2.7%

Top recipients

P E SYSTEMS, INC.$70.3M29%
TECHNATOMY CORPORATION$26.4M11%
W R SYSTEMS LTD.$20.8M8.5%
ALLEN CORPORATION OF AMERICA, INC.$19.6M8.0%
ARETECSBD LLC$13.4M5.5%

Spending by fiscal year

180.2MFY2017
298MFY2018
165.8MFY2019
377MFY2020
342.9MFY2021
365.6MFY2022
344.2MFY2023
303.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$93.3M38%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$89.3M36%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$20.8M8.5%
Technical and trade schools · 6115$15.3M6.2%
Software publishers · 5112$7M2.9%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Fairfax, Virginia

SCAT 1 ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES (EPASS) IN SUPPORT OF AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER AGILE COMBAT SUPPORT DIRECTORATE (AFLCMC/WN)$265.9M
P E SYSTEMS, INC.· Fairfax city, VA· Professional services· Dec 21, 2023 – May 13, 2026· FA862224F2407
SCAT 1 ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES (EPASS) IN SUPPORT OF AIR FORCE LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT CENTER AGILE COMBAT SUPPORT DIRECTORATE (AFLCMC/WN)$220.6M
P E SYSTEMS, INC.· Fairfax city, VA· Professional services· Jul 29, 2019 – Apr 13, 2026· FA862219F8135
VETERAN ENTERPRISE MODULE & SYSTEM INTEGRATION SERVICES$137.2M
TECHNATOMY CORPORATION· Fairfax city, VA· IT & telecom· Dec 22, 2023 – Jul 16, 2026· 36C10B24F0038

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Fairfax, Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Fairfax, Virginia's figures are part of those of Fairfax city, VA ($245.8M in FY2026), never added to them: 99.8% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Fairfax is mostly in Fairfax city.

See federal money in Fairfax city

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Fairfax, Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

James R. WalkinshawD-VA-11 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 0.5%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Fairfax city93100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV86

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5126496

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends