Median Household Income of Northern Virginia Overview
Northern Virginia is known for having communities with some of the highest median incomes in the United States, including the county with the highest in the nation. High median household incomes coincide with the large, thriving business community of the Northern Virginia region. While the median household income is high, it must be recognized that there are segments of the community in need of assistance that live in this prosperous region of the country and that high housing costs offset the high income when it comes to standards of living and well-being.
About the Data and Proper Data Interpretation
Median household income data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census and the American Community Survey (ACS). It is important to note that any data sourced from the ACS is based on a small sample of the population of a place. Areas with smaller populations, such as the cities of Northern Virginia, may have a larger margin of error in the data due to the survey sample size being small. This is less of an issue the larger the population. The margin of error is shown in the popup that is displayed when hovering over a bar in the bar charts. If there is a large increase or decrease in the estimate from one time period to the next, and the margin of error is large and overlaps other periods, then the large change between time periods is likely due to statistical sampling error and is not considered statistically significant. In addition to the margin of error, the accuracy of the American Community Survey data for an area can be gaged by evaluating the trend. If the data has a clear trend then the data from one period to the next can be deemed reliable.
Median Household Income - Current
Five-Year Estimates
All jurisdictions in the United States are included in the five-year American Community Survey estimates.
The Median household incomes for all Northern Virginia jurisdictions are shown in this graph. The median household income of every Northern Virginia jurisdiction is higher than the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States. Out of all 3,144 jurisdictions in the USA, three of the five highest ranked for median household income are in Northern Virginia, and those include Loudoun County (1st), Falls Church City (4th), and Fairfax County (5th). Northern Virginia's median household income, at an estimated $142,583 (in 2023 dollars), is higher than 12th ranked Arlington, making Northern Virginia one of the most affluent regions of the USA.
Median Household Income - Current
One-Year Estimates
Those jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more are included in the one-year American Community Survey estimates, of which there are five Northern Virginia jurisdictions.
The median household incomes for the five largest Northern Virginia jurisdictions are shown in this graph. The Northern Virginia median household income for the one-year estimates is representative of the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia only. The five largest jurisdictions of Northern Virginia all have incomes higher than the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States. Out of the 843 jurisdictions with a population of 65,000 or more in the USA, four of the top twenty highest income jurisdictions are located in Northern Virginia, and those include Loudoun County (1st), Fairfax County (7th), Arlington County (9th), and Prince William County (16th). The median household income of Northern Virginia's five largest jurisdiction together is estimated to be $142,583 (in 2023 dollars), making Northern Virginia one of the most affluent areas of the USA.
Median Household Income - Historic Compared to Current
Five-Year Estimates
The Northern Virginia region's median household income had been rising since 1999 until it dropped in the 2019-2023 period. The greatest upward transformations in median household income, to levels well beyond inflation, have occurred in the Counties of Arlington and Loudoun.
Median Household Income - Historic Compared to Current
One-Year Estimates
The median household income trend, for the regions large jurisdictions (population of 65,000 or more), are shown in the following graph. The Northern Virginia regional household income distribution for the one-year estimates is representative of the five largest jurisdictions in Northern Virginia only.
Key Facts:
-
There were dips in median household income in the early 2010s for some jurisdictions. The effects of the recession from 2007 to 2009 were still causing economic hardships and in 2013 there was federal sequestration when the federal government made large budget cuts. The Northern Virginia region is heavily dependent on the federal government for its economy, as indirectly indicated by the job layoffs during sequestration causing a sharp decline in household incomes.
-
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically from 2012 to 2019 the trend in the Northern Virginia median household income was upward after accounting for inflation. Since 2019 it has been a downward trend after accounting for inflation. The COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, setting off a wave of demographic and economic changes in the region and around the nation. From a national perspective, wages lagged behind inflation in 2021 and 2022 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but outpaced it in 2019, 2020 and since early 2023. Since Northern Virginia's downward trend has occurred in all years since 2019, demographic shifts are more at play than wages not keeping up with inflation. Notably, NVRC research has shown that workers retired early, immigration slowed, and many higher income office workers migrated out of the region to work remotely in places that have a more affordable cost of living. Policymakers have comprehensively addressed low-income housing; however, the pandemic has underscored the need to expand housing programs to serve middle-income two-person households earning up to $150,000 (roughly 120% of the HUD AMI) for enabling first-time home buyers to afford comfortable living and family life in the region. For further information on these demographic shifts, see the NVRC report Shifting Migration Patterns of Northern Virginia: Affordable Housing Needs published January 2025.