What HUD offices serve Fairfax County, Virginia?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Virginia Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Fairfax County.
How many renters live in Fairfax County, Virginia?
The County of Fairfax County has 1,138,331 people living in 415,855 households.
There are 340,983 renters living in 133,235 renter households in this County. Renters make up 29.95 percent of the population living in Fairfax County.
What is the rental market like in Fairfax County, Virginia?
There are an estimated 429,802 housing units in the Fairfax County area. Of these, 139,953 units are rental homes, making up 33 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Fairfax County, Virginia, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Fairfax County?
The rental vacancy rate in Fairfax County is 4 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Fairfax County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Fairfax County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,821 | 35,076 | 47,183 | 30,197 | 8,907 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Fairfax County
A large number of apartments in Fairfax County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Fairfax County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 43 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 21 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Fairfax County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,772 to $3,015. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $1,772 |
| One BR | $1,803 |
| Two BR | $2,045 |
| Three BR | $2,544 |
| Four BR | $3,015 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Fairfax County, Virginia
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Fairfax County?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 2,033 | 23 percent |
| One BR | 7,749 | 22 percent |
| Two BR | 4,796 | 10 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Fairfax County, Virginia
How many affordable rental units are in Fairfax County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Fairfax County, Virginia including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 7,185 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 3,035 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 56 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Fairfax County, Virginia
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County features 2,193 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Fairfax County, Virginia
There are 3,059 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Fairfax County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Fairfax County, Virginia
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Fairfax County landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $200 towards rent in Fairfax County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Fairfax County, Virginia for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,841 and $2,250.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
