Pay and cost of living in Fairfax city, VA
Across the 97 occupations we cover in Fairfax city, VA, the middle median salary is $66,980 a year. Pay runs from $34,600 for Fast Food and Counter Workers up to $195,190 for Computer and Information Systems Managers, a spread of $160,590. Wages come from the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV survey area.
A one-bedroom apartment in Fairfax city, VA has a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,204 a month and a two-bedroom $2,438. Rent, food, home energy and gasoline for one adult add up to $33,432 a year. After federal, FICA and state income taxes, the average occupation here takes home $59,853 a year, and 82 of the 97 occupations listed here (85%) earn enough take-home pay to cover the four basics.
Open any occupation below for its full payslip, the tax breakdown, the rent comparison and a plain-English explanation of what is left after the basics. Every figure uses the same method, so results are comparable from one job and one county to the next.
Housing, taxes and commute in Fairfax city, VA
The figures below are exact U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates for Fairfax city, VA, set beside the Virginia and national medians.
Median household income in Fairfax city, VA is $132,348, 42% above the Virginia median of $93,170 and $80,734 nationally. A year of one-bedroom Fair Market Rent ($26,448) equals 20.0% of that income. The median of the occupation medians listed here, $66,980, is 49% below household income, which is expected because a household can hold more than one earner.
Homeowners in Fairfax city, VA pay a median of $6,515 a year in real estate taxes, 134% above the Virginia median of $2,790. With a median home value of $722,600, 88% above the Virginia median of $383,700, the ratio of the two medians is 0.90% a year.
Renters in Fairfax city, VA pay a median gross rent of $2,245 a month in the Census survey, 42% above the Virginia median of $1,579. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent used for the budgets on this site is $2,204; the Census figure covers rental units of every size.
Workers in Fairfax city, VA who travel to a workplace spend an average of 28.0 minutes each way, 3% above the Virginia average of 27.3. 29.1% of workers work from home, compared with 15.1% nationally.