Stafford County, Virginia: commercial real estate data.
Stafford County, Virginia had an estimated 168,919 residents on July 1, 2024, up 7.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 156,937, across 269 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Stafford County
How many people live in Stafford County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024163,466
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included422nd of 3,222
Stafford County is the 12th largest of 133 Virginia counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024168,919
- Census 2020 base population156,937
- Population change since the 2020 census base7.63 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20243,098
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 7.63 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.
Stafford County
Where are people moving to Stafford County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,098
- People arriving, from those returns15,006
- Tax returns filed by households leaving6,714
- Net household movement384
- Adjusted gross income arriving$542.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-33.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$76,438
- Average income of a leaving household$85,805
- Largest single originPrince William County (1,522 households)
- Largest single destinationSpotsylvania County (940 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince William County | 1,522 | 3,346 | $112.5 m |
| Fairfax County | 759 | 1,668 | $64.6 m |
| Spotsylvania County | 584 | 1,093 | $38.3 m |
| Fredericksburg city | 324 | 567 | $19.8 m |
| Alexandria city | 162 | 363 | $12.8 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 122 | 419 | $13.1 m |
| San Diego County | 113 | 329 | $9.7 m |
| Arlington County | 103 | 179 | $10.8 m |
Households arriving report $9,367 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Prince William 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.
Stafford County
What is the Stafford County economy?
- 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 the Virginia areas BEA publishes21st of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes512th of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Stafford County
- Covered employment, annual average46,071
- Establishments reporting3,280
- Average annual pay$68,734
- Average weekly wage$1,322
- Retail trade, employment5,601
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,949
- Health care and social assistance, employment4,534
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$60,945
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment3,901
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$106,614
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,563
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$23,711
- Construction, employment2,851
- Finance and insurance, employment2,697
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 5,601 | 278 | $36,949 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,534 | 676 | $60,945 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,901 | 487 | $106,614 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,563 | 212 | $23,711 |
| Construction | 2,851 | 336 | $57,450 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,697 | 83 | $83,635 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,136 | 78 | $58,365 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,018 | 177 | $52,617 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 5,601 jobs, 12.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Stafford County
How many businesses are 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. 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.
Stafford County
Building permits in Stafford County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024361
- Declared construction value permitted$127.5 m
- Single family units authorized361
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$353,106
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.9
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.
Stafford County
SBA loans in Stafford County (7(a) and 504)
- 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$582,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval8.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.3
- Most active CDCRappahannock Economic Development Corporation (17)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$101.4 m
The average approval of $564,593 sits well above the median of $206,200, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Stafford County
Do SBA loans in Stafford County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded27
- Paid in full24
- Charged off3
- Status: Cancelled19
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Paid in full24
- Status: Exempt from disclosure74
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed11
Only 27 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.
Stafford County
SBA lending by place in Stafford County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Stafford, approvals77
- Fredericksburg, approvals53
- North Stafford, approvals1
| Borrower city | 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 large 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.
Stafford County
Flood risk in Stafford County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Stafford County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 510154
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 6
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Stafford County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Stafford County (community 510154), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 6, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Stafford County 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024163,466
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 168,919 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has grown 7.63 percent since the 2020 census base of 156,937, to 168,919 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Stafford County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 5,601 jobs, 12.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 46,071 jobs at an average annual pay of $68,734, or $1,322 a week. 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 totaling $74.0 m since FY2020, across 46 lenders, with a median approval of $206,200, plus 38 504 approvals worth $27.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Stafford County?
361 housing units were authorized 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 Prince William County, with 1,522 households. Arriving households report an average income of $76,438 against $85,805 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?
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.
Stafford County
Cities and places in Stafford.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Stafford County. All 7 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquia Harbour | CDP | 7,481 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Quantico Base | CDP | 5,840 | None recorded | 7.2 percent here, 92.8 percent Prince William County |
| Stafford Courthouse | CDP | 5,839 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Falmouth | CDP | 5,216 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Southern Gateway | CDP | 2,771 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Camp Barrett | CDP | 1,681 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Boswell's Corner | CDP | 1,239 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 131 of the county's 131 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Stafford County, the largest being Stafford (77), Fredericksburg (53), North Stafford (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.