Fairfax city, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Fairfax city, Virginia had an estimated 26,340 residents on July 1, 2024, up 9.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 24,147, across 6 square miles. 2,028 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 114 7(a) approvals worth $49.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Fairfax city
How many people live in Fairfax city
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202425,026
- Households9,155
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$132,348
- Median age36.6
- Median gross rent$2,245 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$722,600
- Home value to household income5.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher62.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree29.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over16,333
- Population under 186,210
- Share under 1824.8 percent
- Population 65 and over3,518
- Share 65 and over14.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,298
- Civilian labor force13,708
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.9 percent
- Rank by population among Virginia independent cities72nd of 133
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1664th of 3,222
Fairfax city is the 72nd largest of 133 Virginia independent cities by population. A median home costs 5.5 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.8 percent against 14.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Fairfax city
Is Fairfax city's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202426,340
- Census 2020 base population24,147
- Population change since the 2020 census base9.08 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024914
- Births, 2024553
- Deaths, 2024280
- Natural change, 2024273
- Net domestic migration, 202442
- Net international migration, 2024595
- Total net migration, 2024637
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-726
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents181st of 3,144
The county has grown 9.08 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Fairfax city
Where are people moving to Fairfax city from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,369
- People arriving, from those returns2,214
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,639
- Net household movement-270
- Adjusted gross income arriving$134.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-18.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$98,549
- Average income of a leaving household$93,602
- Largest single originFairfax County (698 households)
- Largest single destinationFairfax County (716 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 698 | 1,180 | $65.5 m |
| Prince William County | 77 | 109 | $6.0 m |
| Arlington County | 60 | 102 | $7.4 m |
| Loudoun County | 59 | 93 | $7.7 m |
| Alexandria city | 49 | 71 | $5.1 m |
| Montgomery County | 27 | 39 | $2.4 m |
Households arriving report $4,947 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Fairfax County, 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 city
Employment by industry in Fairfax city
- Covered employment, annual average24,181
- Establishments reporting1,798
- Average annual pay$70,382
- Average weekly wage$1,353
- Health care and social assistance, employment3,980
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$49,762
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment3,428
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$124,680
- Retail trade, employment3,214
- Retail trade, average annual pay$53,528
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,032
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$33,834
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,666
- Other services, except public administration, employment958
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,980 | 287 | $49,762 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,428 | 438 | $124,680 |
| Retail trade | 3,214 | 154 | $53,528 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,032 | 147 | $33,834 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,666 | 79 | $47,765 |
| Other services, except public administration | 958 | 181 | $51,627 |
| Finance and insurance | 773 | 106 | $117,753 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 595 | 30 | $25,304 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 3,980 jobs, 16.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Fairfax city
How many businesses are in Fairfax city?
- Establishments, all industries2,028
- Employment at those establishments26,981
- Annual payroll$1.72 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents81.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Fairfax city
Building permits in Fairfax city
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202471
- Declared construction value permitted$12.6 m
- Single family units authorized71
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$177,066
- Units authorized per 1,000 households7.8
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Fairfax city
SBA loans in Fairfax city (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded114
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$49.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$436,938
- Median 7(a) approval$222,250
- 10th percentile approval$46,500
- 90th percentile approval$945,500
- Largest single approval$4,800,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,514
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active41
- Distinct industries receiving approvals54
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter95
- Franchise loans16
- Franchise share of approvals14.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (18)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (20)
- 504 approvals recorded21
- 504 gross approval dollars$14.7 m
- Average 504 approval$701,048
- Median 504 approval$342,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval9.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.9
- Most active CDCBusiness Finance Group, Inc. (17)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$64.5 m
The average approval of $436,938 sits well above the median of $222,250, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 9.6 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 city
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Fairfax city
Do SBA loans in Fairfax city get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded18
- Paid in full16
- Charged off2
- Status: Cancelled17
- Status: Exempt from disclosure73
- Status: Paid in full16
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Only 18 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Fairfax city
SBA lending by place in Fairfax city
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Fairfax, approvals112
- Alexandria, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | 112 | $49,169,400 |
| Alexandria | 2 | $641,500 |
Fairfax accounts for 112 approvals against 2 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 city
How large is Fairfax city?
- Land area6 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Virginia independent cities129th of 133
- Width, east to west3.5 mi
- Height, north to south2.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary1
- Residents per square mile of land4,171
- Establishments per square mile338.00
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.
Fairfax city
Flood risk in Fairfax city
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Fairfax, city ofParticipating, community 515524
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Fairfax city, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, the City of Fairfax (community 515524), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Fairfax city in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Fairfax city 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 city site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202425,026
- Households9,155
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$132,348
- Median age36.6
Common questions
Fairfax city questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Fairfax city, Virginia?
The Census Bureau estimates 26,340 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 25,026, in 9,155 households, ranking 72nd of 133 Virginia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Fairfax city's population growing?
The population has grown 9.08 percent since the 2020 census base of 24,147, to 26,340 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 553 births against 280 deaths, with net migration of 637. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Fairfax city?
$132,348. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $722,600, which is 5.5 times income, and median gross rent is $2,245 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Fairfax city?
2,028 establishments, employing 26,981 people with an annual payroll of $1.72 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Fairfax city?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 3,980 jobs, 16.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 24,181 jobs at an average annual pay of $70,382, or $1,353 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Fairfax city?
114 7(a) approvals totaling $49.8 m since FY2020, across 41 lenders, with a median approval of $222,250, plus 21 504 approvals worth $14.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Fairfax city?
71 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Fairfax city?
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 city come from?
The largest single origin is Fairfax County, with 698 households. Arriving households report an average income of $98,549 against $93,602 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 city 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 city?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
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