Overview
Fairfax County is home to 1,144,474 people (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), making it Virginia's most populous county and one of the largest in the country, ranking higher than 99% of U.S. counties by population. Situated in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., the county's economic profile reflects its proximity to the federal government and its surrounding industries.
Median household income sits at $150,113 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than every other county in the national dataset. That figure isn't an outlier. Per capita income is $69,971 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 99% of U.S. counties. The poverty rate is 5.9% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than roughly 97% of counties nationwide. By most economic measures, Fairfax County occupies the top tier.
Demographics
The median age is 38.9 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), younger than about 74% of U.S. counties. That tracks with a large working-age population drawn by federal employment and government contracting.
Fairfax County is one of the more racially diverse counties in the country. White residents make up 47.5% of the population (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), below the share in 88% of U.S. counties. The Asian population, at 19.9%, ranks higher than 99% of counties nationally. Hispanic residents account for 17.4%, above roughly 84% of U.S. counties. Black residents make up 9.6%, and Native residents 0.1% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023).
Educational attainment is the county's most striking demographic feature. A full 64.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), a rate that exceeds every other county in the national rankings. For comparison, the national average hovers around 33%. The concentration of federal agencies, defense contractors, and technology firms helps explain the draw for college-educated workers.
Education
Fairfax County Public Schools enrolled 180,028 students (Education Data Portal, 2021), a figure higher than 99% of U.S. counties. Per-pupil spending was $18,256 (Education Data Portal, 2020), well above the national average of roughly $15,000.
The student-teacher ratio is 13.5:1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), better than the national average of about 15.5:1. Graduation rates tell a more complicated story. At 84% (Education Data Portal, 2019), the rate falls below the national average of approximately 87% and ranks lower than about 69% of U.S. counties. For a county with this level of income and education spending, that gap is worth watching. The data is from 2019, so more recent figures may show a different picture.
Economy & Employment
The labor force totals 638,912 people (BLS LAUS, 2025), with 617,731 employed and 21,181 unemployed. The unemployment rate is 3.3% (BLS LAUS, 2025), lower than about 68% of U.S. counties.
Income numbers are consistently at the top. Median household income of $150,113 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is roughly double the national median of about $75,000. IRS data paints a similar picture: 563,560 tax returns were filed in 2021, with an average adjusted gross income of $156,435 and average total income of $158,140 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Total AGI across the county was $88.2 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021).
The poverty rate of 5.9% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is among the lowest in the country, lower than about 97% of counties. Still, in a county where median home values approach $700,000, that 5.9% represents more than 67,000 people whose cost of living doesn't scale down just because their neighbors earn more.
Housing & Cost of Living
Median home value is $699,700 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 99% of U.S. counties. Median gross rent is $2,230 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), also at the top of the national distribution. Fair market rent data from HUD (2026) is available but does not include bedroom-level breakdowns for this county.
The county has 428,352 total housing units with 15,689 vacant, producing a vacancy rate of 3.7% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That's lower than 99% of U.S. counties. Housing supply is tight. A vacancy rate below 5% generally signals a competitive market where renters and buyers have limited options.
The gap between income and housing costs is narrower here than in many high-cost metros, but the raw numbers are still large. A household earning the median income of $150,113 and buying at the median home value of $699,700 faces a price-to-income ratio of about 4.7x. Rent at $2,230 per month consumes about 18% of median household income, a manageable share, but one that rises sharply for households below the median.
Health & Wellness
Fairfax County's health metrics are consistently better than national averages. The obesity rate is 23.8% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 99% of U.S. counties. High blood pressure affects 27.2% of adults, lower than about 96% of counties. The diabetes rate is 9.5%, below roughly 76% of counties (CDC PLACES, 2023).
Mental health indicators follow the same pattern. The share of adults reporting poor mental health days is 12.7% (CDC PLACES, 2023), and depression prevalence is 18.8%, both among the lowest nationally. Poor physical health days affect 9.8% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 99% of counties.
Preventive care utilization is strong. Cholesterol screening rates hit 88.4% (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than 99% of counties. Annual checkup rates are 76.5%, middling by national standards (CDC PLACES, 2023).
The uninsured rate is 7.6% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than about 89% of U.S. counties. In a county with this income level, some gap persists, likely concentrated among lower-income and immigrant populations.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Snow is the dominant weather risk in Fairfax County. Five of the county's 19 federal disaster declarations since 1972 involved snowstorms (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), and the most recent declaration, from January 2026, was another winter storm. The county averages 19 inches of snow annually (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), which doesn't sound like much until a major storm hits a metro area not built for it.
The broader climate picture is temperate. The average annual temperature is 56.2°F, with highs averaging 66.1°F and lows at 46.3°F (NOAA, 2025). Annual precipitation runs 38.1 inches. Those figures sit near national medians.
Hurricanes account for five declarations since 1999, but the threat here isn't coastal wind damage. It's rain and downed trees across a dense suburban grid. Tropical remnants moving inland still knock out power for days at a time, as they did in both 2003 and 1999.
Two of the 19 declarations, both in 2020, were COVID-19 related. They don't reflect the county's physical hazard profile.
At 19 total declarations, Fairfax has fewer federal disaster declarations than 59% of U.S. counties (FEMA, 2026). For a county this large and this densely developed, that's a relatively clean record.
Mid-Atlantic climate projections point toward wetter, more intense precipitation events. The flood and severe storm entries in Fairfax's history are the ones most likely to get more company.
Financial Profile
Total bank deposits in Fairfax County reach $528 billion across 551 branch locations (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). Both figures rank higher than 98% of counties statewide and 99% nationally. Banking access is strong, with one branch per roughly 2,077 residents.
IRS data shows total adjusted gross income of $88.2 billion from 563,560 returns (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average AGI of $156,435 per return ranks above 99% of U.S. counties. Total income reached $89.1 billion, with average income of $158,140 per return (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021).
Social Security beneficiaries number 155,040 (SSA OASDI, 2024), about 13.5% of the total population. That share is lower than most U.S. counties, consistent with the younger median age and large working-age population.
Key Comparisons
Fairfax County stands out nationally in several categories. Income tops the charts: median household income of $150,113 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is higher than all other counties in the national ranking. Educational attainment at 64.3% with a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) also leads the country.
Within Virginia, the county ranks near the top in almost every economic measure. Income is above 98% of Virginia counties, home values above 97%, and educational attainment above 97% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023).
Health outcomes follow the wealth gradient. Obesity at 23.8% and high blood pressure at 27.2% (CDC PLACES, 2023) are among the lowest in both state and national rankings. The poverty rate of 5.9% is lower than about 92% of Virginia counties (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023).
Where the county doesn't dominate: the graduation rate of 84% (Education Data Portal, 2019) is below the national average. The unemployment rate of 3.3% (BLS LAUS, 2025) is moderate, not exceptionally low. The housing vacancy rate of 3.7% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is among the tightest in the country, a sign of demand but also a constraint on affordability and mobility.
The county's diversity is also distinctive. The Asian population share of 19.9% and Hispanic share of 17.4% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) both rank well above most U.S. counties. The white population share of 47.5% is below 88% of counties nationally.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023: Population, income, housing, demographics, education attainment, commute times, poverty rate
- BLS LAUS, 2025: Unemployment rate, labor force, employment counts
- CDC PLACES, 2023: Health metrics including obesity, diabetes, mental health, insurance coverage, preventive care
- HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026: Data not available for Fairfax County
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026: Disaster declarations and history
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021: Tax returns, adjusted gross income, total income
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023: Bank branch counts and total deposits
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025: Temperature and precipitation averages
- SSA OASDI, 2024: Social Security beneficiary counts
- USDA Census of Agriculture, 2022: Data not available for Fairfax County
- Education Data Portal, 2021: Per-pupil spending, enrollment, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate