Stafford County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Stafford County, Virginia has a population of 163,466 across 269 square miles, up 7.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $8.35 bn in 2024, 2,570 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 131 7(a) approvals worth $74.0 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Stafford County
How many people live in Stafford County
- Population163,466
- Households52,326
- Average household size3.12
- Median household income$137,807
- Median age36.3
- Median gross rent$2,020 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$485,100
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher43.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over105,652
- Population under 1842,763
- Share under 1826.2 percent
- Population 65 and over18,648
- Share 65 and over11.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64102,055
- Civilian labor force82,715
- Unemployment rate3.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.5 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia counties12th of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents422nd
Stafford County is the 12th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 26.2 percent against 11.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Stafford County
Is Stafford County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.63 percent
- Census 2020 base population156,937
- Births, 20241,796
- Deaths, 2024931
- Natural change, 2024865
- Net domestic migration, 20241,347
- Net international migration, 2024917
- Total net migration, 20242,264
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20245,569
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents265th
The county has grown 7.63 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.
Stafford County
Where people moving to Stafford County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,098
- People arriving, from those returns15,006
- Adjusted gross income arriving$542.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$76,438
- Largest single originStafford County Non-migrants (54,450 households)
- Largest single destination (54,450 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford County Non-migrants | 54,450 | 122,899 | $5.73 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,827 | 3,825 | $138.9 m |
| Prince William County | 1,522 | 3,346 | $112.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 895 | 1,849 | $64.0 m |
| Fairfax County | 759 | 1,668 | $64.6 m |
| Spotsylvania County | 584 | 1,093 | $38.3 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 358 | 699 | $27.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 326 | 752 | $27.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Stafford 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.
Stafford County
What the Stafford County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$8.35 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.09 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.1 percent
- GDP change over five years28.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Virginia counties21st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents512th
- GDP per resident$51,051
Output grew 3.1 percent in the latest year and 28.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Stafford County
Who employs people in Stafford County
- Covered employment, annual average46,071
- Establishments reporting3,280
- Average annual pay$68,734
- Average weekly wage$1,322
- Sector 44-45, employment5,601
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,949
- Sector 62, employment4,534
- Sector 62, average annual pay$60,945
- Sector 54, employment3,901
- Sector 54, average annual pay$106,614
- Sector 72, employment3,563
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,711
- Sector 23, employment2,851
- Sector 52, employment2,697
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 5,601 | 278 | $36,949 |
| Sector 62 | 4,534 | 676 | $60,945 |
| Sector 54 | 3,901 | 487 | $106,614 |
| Sector 72 | 3,563 | 212 | $23,711 |
| Sector 23 | 2,851 | 336 | $57,450 |
| Sector 52 | 2,697 | 83 | $83,635 |
| Sector 48-49 | 2,136 | 78 | $58,365 |
| Sector 56 | 2,018 | 177 | $52,617 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,601 jobs, 12.2 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.
Stafford County
What businesses operate in Stafford County
- Establishments, all industries2,570
- Employment at those establishments35,383
- Annual payroll$1.82 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.7
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.
Stafford County
What is being built in Stafford County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024361
- Declared construction value permitted$127.5 m
- Single family units authorised361
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$353,106
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.9
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Stafford County
How much SBA lending happens in Stafford County
- 7(a) approvals recorded131
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$74.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$564,593
- Median 7(a) approval$206,200
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,700,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,384
- Jobs per approval10.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active46
- Distinct industries receiving approvals71
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms15
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter106
- Franchise loans31
- Franchise share of approvals23.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countUsed Car Dealers (7)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (13)
- 504 approvals recorded38
- 504 gross approval dollars$27.5 m
- Average 504 approval$723,368
- Median 504 approval$596,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval8.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.3
- Most active CDCRappahannock Economic Development Corporation (17)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$101.4 m
The average approval of $564,593 sits well above the median of $206,200, 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 11.5 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.
Stafford County
Do SBA loans in Stafford County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded27
- Paid in full24
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans11.1 percent
- Status: Cancelled19
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Paid in full24
- Status: Exempt from disclosure74
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed11
Of the 27 loans that have reached a final outcome, 11.1 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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Stafford County
Which parts of Stafford County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- STAFFORD, approvals77
- FREDERICKSBURG, approvals53
- NORTH STAFFORD, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| STAFFORD | 77 | $33,282,500 |
| FREDERICKSBURG | 53 | $40,214,600 |
| NORTH STAFFORD | 1 | $464,600 |
STAFFORD accounts for 77 approvals against 53 in FREDERICKSBURG. 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.
Stafford County
How big is Stafford County
- Land area269 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia counties74th of 133
- Width, east to west18.9 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land608
- Establishments per square mile9.55
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 Stafford 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 Stafford County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population163,466
- Households52,326
- Average household size3.12
- Median household income$137,807
- Median age36.3
Common questions
Stafford County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Stafford County, Virginia?
163,466, in 52,326 households, ranking 12th of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Stafford County growing?
The population has grown 7.63 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,796 births against 931 deaths, with net migration of 2,264. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Stafford County?
$137,807. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $485,100, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $2,020 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Stafford County?
2,570 establishments, employing 35,383 people with an annual payroll of $1.82 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 Stafford County?
Average annual pay is $68,734, or $1,322 a week, across 46,071 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Stafford County?
131 7(a) approvals totalling $74.0 m since FY2020, across 46 lenders, with a median approval of $206,200, plus 38 504 approvals worth $27.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Stafford County get paid back?
Of the 27 loans that have reached a final outcome, 24 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 11.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Stafford County?
361 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $127.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Stafford 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 Stafford County come from?
The largest single origin is Stafford County Non-migrants, with 54,450 households. Arriving households report an average income of $76,438 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 Stafford 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 Stafford 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.