Fairfax County vs Virginia Beach city
A side-by-side comparison of Fairfax County and Virginia Beach city: population, income, housing, and more.
Fairfax County and Virginia Beach city are counties in Virginia. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Fairfax County has the higher population (1,144,474 vs 457,066 in Virginia Beach city). Fairfax County has the higher median household income ($150,113 vs $90,685 in Virginia Beach city). Fairfax County has the higher median home value ($699,700 vs $366,300 in Virginia Beach city).
Population, income & housing
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,144,474 | 457,066 |
| Median age | 38.9 yrs | 37.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $150,113 | $90,685 |
| Median home value | $699,700 | $366,300 |
| Median gross rent | $2,230 | $1,649 |
| Housing units | 428,352 | 190,734 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 64.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.3% | 40.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,145,862 → 1,144,474 (-0.1%) | 450,201 → 457,066 (+1.5%) |
| Median household income | $124,831 → $150,113 (+20.3%) | $76,610 → $90,685 (+18.4%) |
| Median home value | $563,100 → $699,700 (+24.3%) | $280,800 → $366,300 (+30.4%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,881 → $2,230 (+18.6%) | $1,367 → $1,649 (+20.6%) |
Fairfax County
1,145,8621,144,474
$124,831$150,113
$563,100$699,700
$1,881$2,230
Virginia Beach city
450,201457,066
$76,610$90,685
$280,800$366,300
$1,367$1,649
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.0% | 6.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.2% | 16.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.3% | 8.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.0% | 15.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 14.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.9% | 11.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 12.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 9.2% |
| 75 and over | 5.9% | 6.2% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 47.5% | 59.4% |
| Black or African American | 9.6% | 18.3% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 19.9% | 7.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 4.8% | 5.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.4% | 8.9% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.8% | 5.3% |
| High school graduate | 12.0% | 21.3% |
| Some college or associate's | 17.0% | 32.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 31.8% | 25.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 32.4% | 15.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 57.9% | 75.3% |
| Carpooled | 8.0% | 7.5% |
| Public transit | 5.3% | 0.8% |
| Walked | 1.7% | 1.8% |
| Bicycle | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Worked from home | 25.1% | 12.7% |
| Other means | 1.6% | 1.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 45.6% | 54.8% |
| 1-unit, attached | 22.9% | 18.3% |
| 2 to 4 units | 2.1% | 6.0% |
| 5 to 19 units | 14.4% | 12.0% |
| 20 or more units | 14.5% | 7.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.5% | 1.1% |
Poverty & households
| Fairfax County | Virginia Beach city | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.9% | 8.4% |
| Average household size | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 30 | 23 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1984 |
Full profiles
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