Frederick receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fairfax
Frederick
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
36 · Bottom 25%
vs54 · Top 44%
Climate
74 · Top 31%
vs71 · Top 49%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs89 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 33%
vs78 · Bottom 47%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs82 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
74 · Top 20%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Fairfax | Frederick | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,026 | 83,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $132,348 | $97,069 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,647 | $49,823 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,010/sq mi | 3,480/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $722,600 | $401,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,245 | $1,764 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 58.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.4% | 43.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 20 | 513 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.8 | 6.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -83.9% | -56.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.2" | 35.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 34 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 32.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.6 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Fairfax, VA · Frederick, MD · How this is calculated: methodology