• county
  • FIPS 51059
  • Largest town: Herndon

Fairfax County, Virginia

Fairfax County had 1,160,925 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 391.0 square miles of land. It is the most populous of Virginia's 133 county-equivalents.

Population
1,160,925
#1 of 133 in Virginia · #42 in US
Area
391.0 sq mi
#47 of 133 in Virginia · #2,571 in US
Density
2,969 / sq mi
#12 of 133 in Virginia · #36 in US
Median household income
$141,353
#3 of 133 in Virginia · #7 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Fairfax County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Fairfax County

Fairfax County population, land area and income

Fairfax County had 1,160,925 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 391.0 square miles of land. It is the most populous of Virginia's 133 county-equivalents. That works out to 2,969.0 people per square mile, 30.8 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents, so Fairfax County is 41.8 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $141,353 is the 7th highest among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

1,160,925

3144th1st

42nd of 3,144 (US)

Land area

391 sq mi

3144th1st

2571st of 3,144 (US)

Density

2,969.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

36th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$141,353

3143rd1st

7th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

1,160,925

133rd1st

1st of 133 (VA)

Land area

391 sq mi

133rd1st

47th of 133 (VA)

Density

2,969.0 / sq mi

133rd1st

12th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$141,353

133rd1st

3rd of 133 (VA)

How Fairfax County's population changed since 2020

Fairfax County gained 12,245 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.1%. That ranks 72nd of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Fairfax County recorded 51,779 births and 24,947 deaths, a natural change of +26,832. Net international migration added +47,023 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -63,764. The largest single component was domestic migration, which removed 63,764 people.

1.15M20201.14M20211.14M20221.15M20231.16M2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
51,779
Deaths
24,947
Net international migration
+47,023
Net domestic migration
-63,764
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+14,248

Where Fairfax County is

The Census internal point of Fairfax County is at 38.829500, -77.273300. It sits in UTM zone 18N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Fairfax County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Fairfax County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
38.829500, -77.273300
DMS
38°49'46.20"N 77°16'23.88"W
UTM
18N 302668.2E 4300311.6N
Geohash
dqchcseq1
Plus code
87C4RPHG+RM

Towns in Fairfax County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Fairfax County, 41,742 people together, or 4% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Fairfax County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Herndon with 25,180.

  1. 01Herndon25,180
  2. 02Vienna16,562
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Fairfax County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 9 neighbors for Fairfax County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Montgomery County, MD, with 1,082,273 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 89.6 miles S of Fairfax County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Alexandria, VA (population 159,102), 10.3 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Fairfax, VA (population 26,340), 2.1 miles away.

Fairfax County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Fairfax County is 51059: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 059. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $141,353.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Fairfax County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 1,160,925. That is up 12,245 people (1.1%) from the July 2020 estimate of 1,148,680.

What is the FIPS code of Fairfax County?

51059. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (059) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Fairfax County?

Herndon, with 25,180 residents inside Fairfax County in 2024.

Which counties border Fairfax County?

9 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Montgomery County, MD; Prince George's County, MD; Prince William County, VA; Loudoun County, VA; Arlington County, VA; Charles County, MD; Alexandria city, VA; Fairfax city, VA; Falls Church city, VA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.