Fairfax County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Fairfax County, Virginia has a population of 1,147,837 across 391 square miles, up 0.9 percent since the 2020 census base. 31,931 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,230 7(a) approvals worth $551.1 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 10 sections
Fairfax County
How many people live in Fairfax County
- Population1,147,837
- Households414,101
- Average household size2.77
- Median household income$153,637
- Median age39.1
- Median gross rent$2,276 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$732,800
- Home value to household income4.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher65.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree33.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over790,570
- Population under 18262,310
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over171,935
- Share 65 and over15.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64713,592
- Civilian labor force637,207
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.0 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties1st of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents42nd
Fairfax County is the 1st largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 4.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.9 percent against 15.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Fairfax County
Is Fairfax County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.92 percent
- Census 2020 base population1,150,292
- Births, 202411,744
- Deaths, 20245,633
- Natural change, 20246,111
- Net domestic migration, 2024-8,323
- Net international migration, 202416,376
- Total net migration, 20248,053
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-60,612
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1510th
The county has grown 0.92 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Fairfax County
Where people moving to Fairfax County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving39,010
- People arriving, from those returns67,685
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.61 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$118,128
- Largest single originFairfax County Non-migrants (434,907 households)
- Largest single destination (434,907 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County Non-migrants | 434,907 | 901,783 | $76.12 bn |
| Arlington County | 3,960 | 6,033 | $533.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,764 | 6,753 | $377.7 m |
| Alexandria city | 3,405 | 5,698 | $371.3 m |
| Loudoun County | 2,838 | 4,840 | $374.3 m |
| Prince William County | 2,763 | 4,751 | $200.5 m |
| District of Columbia | 1,689 | 2,662 | $252.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,660 | 3,083 | $195.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Fairfax County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Fairfax County
Who employs people in Fairfax County
- Covered employment, annual average636,430
- Establishments reporting38,934
- Average annual pay$114,100
- Average weekly wage$2,194
- Sector 54, employment158,868
- Sector 54, average annual pay$166,553
- Sector 62, employment72,266
- Sector 62, average annual pay$80,261
- Sector 44-45, employment48,953
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$50,278
- Sector 56, employment45,826
- Sector 56, average annual pay$93,929
- Sector 72, employment44,130
- Sector 52, employment25,572
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 54 | 158,868 | 10,856 | $166,553 |
| Sector 62 | 72,266 | 4,818 | $80,261 |
| Sector 44-45 | 48,953 | 2,422 | $50,278 |
| Sector 56 | 45,826 | 2,071 | $93,929 |
| Sector 72 | 44,130 | 2,384 | $34,579 |
| Sector 52 | 25,572 | 1,683 | $173,276 |
| Sector 23 | 25,130 | 2,345 | $96,822 |
| Sector 55 | 24,558 | 404 | $223,397 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 158,868 jobs, 25.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Fairfax County
What businesses operate in Fairfax County
- Establishments, all industries31,931
- Employment at those establishments696,002
- Annual payroll$69.82 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Fairfax County
What is being built in Fairfax County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,861
- Declared construction value permitted$497.8 m
- Single family units authorised1,032
- Multifamily units authorised1,829
- Multifamily share of units63.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$174,006
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.9
Multifamily is 63.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Fairfax County
How much SBA lending happens in Fairfax County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,230
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$551.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$448,070
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$26,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,060,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)15,282
- Jobs per approval12.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active121
- Distinct industries receiving approvals252
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer5.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms70
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,078
- Franchise loans210
- Franchise share of approvals17.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (74)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (203)
- 504 approvals recorded189
- 504 gross approval dollars$156.4 m
- Average 504 approval$827,556
- Median 504 approval$519,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval13.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.8
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (167)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals86.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$707.5 m
The average approval of $448,070 sits well above the median of $200,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 5.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fairfax County
Do SBA loans in Fairfax County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded206
- Paid in full179
- Charged off27
- Charge off rate on resolved loans13.1 percent
- Status: Charged off27
- Status: Paid in full179
- Status: Exempt from disclosure734
- Status: Cancelled199
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed91
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | 11 | 6 | 54.5% |
| 722513 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 206 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Full-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge off rate at 54.5 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fairfax County
Which parts of Fairfax County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending36
- FAIRFAX, approvals146
- Alexandria, approvals144
- RESTON, approvals100
- Vienna, approvals99
- SPRINGFIELD, approvals97
- HERNDON, approvals95
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| FAIRFAX | 146 | $64,128,700 |
| Alexandria | 144 | $41,159,400 |
| RESTON | 100 | $56,736,000 |
| Vienna | 99 | $33,527,000 |
| SPRINGFIELD | 97 | $38,269,800 |
| HERNDON | 95 | $37,956,300 |
| Chantilly | 95 | $66,176,700 |
| FALLS CHURCH | 82 | $29,421,500 |
FAIRFAX accounts for 146 approvals against 144 in Alexandria. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fairfax County
How big is Fairfax County
- Land area391 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties47th of 133
- Width, east to west26.8 mi
- Height, north to south30.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land2,936
- Establishments per square mile81.66
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Fairfax County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Fairfax County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population1,147,837
- Households414,101
- Average household size2.77
- Median household income$153,637
- Median age39.1
Common questions
Fairfax County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fairfax County, Virginia?
1,147,837, in 414,101 households, ranking 1st of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fairfax County growing?
The population has grown 0.92 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 11,744 births against 5,633 deaths, with net migration of 8,053. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fairfax County?
$153,637. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $732,800, which is 4.8 times income, and median gross rent is $2,276 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Fairfax County?
31,931 establishments, employing 696,002 people with an annual payroll of $69.82 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Fairfax County?
Average annual pay is $114,100, or $2,194 a week, across 636,430 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fairfax County?
1,230 7(a) approvals totalling $551.1 m since FY2020, across 121 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 189 504 approvals worth $156.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Fairfax County get paid back?
Of the 206 loans that have reached a final outcome, 179 were paid in full and 27 charged off, a charge off rate of 13.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Fairfax County?
2,861 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $497.8 m. Multifamily was 63.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fairfax County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Fairfax County come from?
The largest single origin is Fairfax County Non-migrants, with 434,907 households. Arriving households report an average income of $118,128 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Fairfax County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Fairfax County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.