[Greater DC]

City of Fairfax

City of Fairfax seal

Fast Facts:

  • The City of Fairfax was home to 24,835 people and had 9,308 housing units in 2022. Since 2010, the City of Fairfax has added an average of 200 people and 100 housing units per year.
  • Thirty-two percent of households were renters and 53 percent of renters had unaffordable housing costs.
  • The City of Fairfax did not meet the annual production target of 214 units, with 83 new units built in 2023. Cumulatively, the City of Fairfax has produced at least 771 units since 2020, exceeding its 3-year target of 642.
Sources: Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates, Decennial Census, American Community Survey (2018-22), and the HIT survey of local jurisdictions.
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City of Fairfax
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Policy Status

Solving the region's affordable housing crisis requires a portfolio of policies to preserve existing affordable housing, produce more housing, and protect people from discrimination and displacement.

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Right of First Refusal

  • City of Fairfax

Preservation Inventory - Subsidized

  • City of Fairfax

Preservation Inventory - Unsubsidized

  • City of Fairfax

Rental Assistance Demonstration

  • City of Fairfax

Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Homeowners

  • City of Fairfax

Energy Efficiency Upgrades of Affordable Housing

  • City of Fairfax

Housing Outcomes

Local jurisdictions submitted data to enable the region to track housing production, preservation, and rental affordability.

Amount of Housing

Number of units built by type

02004006008001,000Units33City of Fairfax202020222023
Multifamily
Single-family

Affordability of Housing

Share of units affordable to households with low incomes

020406080100Percent City ofFairfax6%4%6%
2020
2022
2023

Accessibility of Housing

Share of affordable units in COG Activity Centers or near high-capacity transit

020406080100Percent City ofFairfax0%100%100%
2020
2022
2023

Housing Cost: Lowest
Percentage
# of Units

Units built affordable to households with incomes 0-29.9% of area median

020406080100Share of annual target City ofFairfax0%0%0%0%
2020
2021
2022
2023

Housing Cost: Low
Percentage
# of Units

Units built affordable to households with incomes 30-49.9% of area median

020406080100Share of annual target City ofFairfax0%0%0%0%
2020
2021
2022
2023

Housing Cost: Low-Middle
Percentage
# of Units

Units built affordable to households with incomes 50-79.9% of area median

020406080100Share of annual target City ofFairfax62%62%26%13%
2020
2021
2022
2023

Building Permits for New Construction

Number of units permitted by type

05001,0001,5002,000Units132City of Fairfax20222023
Multifamily
Single-family

Affordable Housing in Development

Number of units

05001,0001,5002,000Units690City of Fairfax202120222023
In the pipeline
Under construction

Affordable Housing Preservation

Number of units preserved as committed affordable by type

0200400600800Units00City of Fairfax2023
Units with existing subsidies
Units previously unsubsidized

Note: Charles, Frederick, Rockville, City of Fairfax, Prince William, and Manassas do not track preservation.

Structural Racism

Discriminatory actions and racist public policies have produced inequitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the Washington region, including lower incomes and wealth, lower homeownership rates, and higher rates of housing cost burden.

Income

Average household income by race and ethnicity, 2018-22

$0$50,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$ City ofFairfaxRace and ethnicity$159,800$142,800$106,400$91,900$178,100
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race
White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white.

Source: American Community Survey

Homeownership

Homeownership rate by race and ethnicity, 2018-22

020406080100Percent City ofFairfaxRace and ethnicity73%66%49%48%73%
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous, Other or Multiple Race
White

Note: Categories are not mutually exclusive. People identifying as Hispanic may also be represented in other bars except white.

Source: American Community Survey

Homebuying

Share of mortgage originations by race and ethnicity, 2022

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

020406080100Percent City ofFairfaxRace and ethnicity6%5%13%34%42%
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black
Hispanic/Latinx
Indigenous or Multiple race
White

Note: Categories are mutually exclusive, borrowers identifying as Hispanic are not also represented in a race category. For mortgages with an applicant and a co-applicant, if they identify the same way they are captured in that category, otherwise if they have different identities they would be included in the Indigenous or Multiple race category.

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Credit Denials

Ratio of denial rates for mortgages between white borrowers and borrowers of color, 2022

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

00.20.40.60.81Ratio City ofFairfax0.676

Note: If White borrowers and borrowers of Color were denied mortgages at the same rate we would expect to see a ratio equal to 1. Values under 1 indicate that borrowers of Color have higher denial rates than White borrowers.

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Housing Context

Understanding how household incomes relate to the supply of affordable rental and homeownership units will inform jurisdictions' efforts to meet the current and future housing needs of residents.

Housing Cost Burden

Renter households paying more than 30% of their monthly income in rent, 2018-22

020406080100Percent City ofFairfax53%

Note: Households paying more than 30 percent of their monthly income in housing costs are considered to be cost burdened.

Source: American Community Survey

Affordable Homebuying

Share of mortgage originations to households with moderate incomes and below, 2022

For first-lien owner-occupied home purchases of 1-4 unit dwellings

020406080100Percent City ofFairfax16%23%
0-80% of AMI
80-120% of AMI

Source: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Elected Officials

  1. Catherine S. Read
  2. Billy M. Bates

    Billy M. Bates

    Council Member

  3. Kate G. Doyle Feingold

    Kate G. Doyle Feingold

    Council Member

  4. Jeffrey C. Greenfield

    Jeffrey C. Greenfield

    Council Member

  5. So P. Lim

    So P. Lim

    Council Member

  6. D. Thomas Ross

    D. Thomas Ross

    Council Member

  7. Jon R. Stehle, Jr.

    Jon R. Stehle, Jr.

    Council Member

Housing Official

  1. Brooke Hardin

    Brooke Hardin

    Community Development and Planning Director