Falls Church and Fairfax receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Falls Church
Fairfax
Opportunity
60 · Top 41%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Climate
72 · Top 42%
vs74 · Top 31%
Physical resilience
90 · Top 11%
vs82 · Top 20%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs70 · Bottom 33%
Access
94 · Top 40%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
81 · Top 5%
vs74 · Top 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Falls Church | Fairfax | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,710 | 25,026 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $143,262 | $132,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $88,790 | $63,647 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,190/sq mi | 4,010/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,055,600 | $722,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,190 | $2,245 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.5% | 69.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -3.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 80.5% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 9.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 14 | 20 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.7% | -83.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 25°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.8" | 43.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.2 min | 31.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.5 | 36.6 | 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.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Falls Church
71
Your Score
68
Area Score
Fairfax
71
Your Score
68
Area Score
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Full profiles: Falls Church, VA · Fairfax, VA · How this is calculated: methodology