Northern Virginia Guide › Fairfax County › City of Fairfax
City of Fairfax, Virginia
Its own city, its own schools and tax rate, and townhouses that sell for more than houses.
At a glance
Six numbers that describe the City of Fairfax.
The median single-family home in the City of Fairfax sold for $820,000 in 2026 and went under contract in seven days, and half sold above the asking price. The median townhouse sold for more, $867,500.
The City of Fairfax, often called Fairfax City, is an independent city, not part of Fairfax County. It has its own city government, its own real estate tax rate, its own police department and its own schools, and Fairfax County surrounds it on every side. A "Fairfax, VA" mailing address can be in the city or in the county, and the zip code does not settle it, so check the tax record, not the listing. For the county side of the same address, see the Fairfax (Fairfax County) page. This page is about homes for sale and sold inside the city line: what a house or townhouse costs, how buyers pay, what it rents for, which schools it feeds, the tax and the commute. Every number is from Bright MLS closed sales, pulled on October 2, 2026, not from a listing site's estimate.
The city's 121 house sales were in zips 22030 (101), 22031 (7) and 22032 (13); its 42 townhouse sales in 22030 (33), 22031 (7) and 22032 (2). Single-family means a detached house with at least three bedrooms and two full baths; townhouse means end-of-row and interior-row homes; condominium-regime homes are left out of both. Source: Bright MLS, closed sales January 1 to October 2, 2026, County = Fairfax City, pulled by Ahmed Makkiyah on October 2, 2026.
Prices
$820,000 for a house in the City of Fairfax, $165,000 less than the county side.
The median city house sold for $820,000 against $985,000 for a house on the Fairfax County side of the same Fairfax address, and for less than Springfield ($828,857) or Herndon ($879,000). The median townhouse, $867,500, sold for more than the median house.
Houses. 121 sold, from $475,000 to $2,100,000, and 101 of them in 22030. Many are brick split-levels, ramblers and colonials from the 1950s and 1960s, in neighborhoods such as Mosby Woods and Country Club Hills. Half sold above asking, 62 of 121, and half went under contract within a week.
Townhouses. 42 sold at a median of $867,500, $47,500 more than the median house, because they are bigger and newer: a median of 2,643 square feet against 2,336 for a house. That is more than a townhouse cost in Vienna ($811,557) or Oakton ($798,500), and $132,500 more than on the county side of Fairfax ($735,000). Six in ten went under contract within a week.
The averages meet. The average house sold for $895,737 and the average townhouse for $895,710, a difference of $27. Condominium-regime homes are not counted in either.
Median single-family sale price, 20262
Bright MLS closed sales, 2026 year to date, except the Fairfax County row (September 2026 alone). The town rows are filtered to 3+ bedrooms and 2+ full baths and leave out condominium-regime homes; the Fairfax County row has no size filter. Fairfax, Alexandria and Falls Church mean the Fairfax County addresses, not the independent cities, and Chantilly means its Fairfax County side. Arlington County, the neighbor to the east, is one row for the whole county (pulled October 3, same filters). The Cities of Fairfax, Falls Church and Alexandria are independent cities next to the county, shown under their own names. Oak Hill (20 sales) and Dunn Loring (12) are too small to chart.
| Measure | Houses | Townhouses |
|---|---|---|
| Homes sold | 121 | 42 |
| Median sold price | $820,000 | $867,500 |
| Average sold price | $895,737 | $895,710 |
| Median size | 2,336 sq ft | 2,643 sq ft |
| Median price per square foot | $431 | $424 |
| Median days to contract | 7 | 6 |
| Median sold-to-list | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Sold above asking | 62 (51.2%) | 14 (33.3%) |
| Under contract within 7 days | 51.2% | 61.9% |
| Lowest sale | $475,000 | $498,000 |
| Highest sale | $2,100,000 | $1,400,000 |
| Total dollar volume | $108,384,163 | $37,619,813 |
| Cash sales | 21 (17.4%) | 7 (16.7%) |
Five houses sold in bidding wars at more than 115% of the list price, up to 118%: $1,210,000 on a $1,025,000 list, $1,116,000 cash on $950,000 and $711,000 cash on $614,950 among them. They lift the average sold-to-list to 101.4%; the median, 100.0%, is the better number. At the other end, one house sold for $640,000 against a $747,000 list, 86%.
What can you afford in the City of Fairfax? Start from the monthly payment you can live with, not the price. The city's tax rate is lower than the county's, and townhouses usually carry HOA dues; the calculator adds them for you.
Follow the money
One house buyer in six paid cash, and cash bought the two top townhouses.
In 2026, 21 of 121 house buyers paid cash, 17.4% of the dollars ($18.9 million of $108.4 million), at a median of $745,000 against $830,660 financed. Cash leaned to the cheaper houses: 8 of the 30 under $732,500 were cash.
Share of sales paid in cash, by price band and home type
Cash is more common in the city than on the county side of Fairfax (15.0% of houses) and close to Reston (18.4%) or Oakton (18.5%). Between $820,000 and $950,000 just 2 of 31 house buyers paid cash; above $950,000, 6 of 31 did.
How 121 house purchases were paid for
One house buyer in ten used a VA loan, 12 of 121. Townhouses tell a different cash story: 7 of 42 buyers paid cash, 19.7% of the dollars, at a median of $1,060,000 against $850,000 financed, and the two top townhouse sales, $1,400,000 and $1,300,000, were both cash.
What that means if you need a loan: below $732,500, about one buyer in four you compete with may be paying cash, and five houses went more than 15% over list. The offer that wins is a full pre-approval, a short inspection window and an appraisal-gap plan you decided before the open house. Between $820,000 and $950,000 you are competing almost only with other financed buyers.
Townhouses: 30 conventional, 7 cash, 2 VA, 1 FHA, 1 adjustable-rate and 1 assumable plus conventional of 42. Houses: FHA 2, other 1 and mixed 1 are grouped as FHA and other. Mixed cash-and-loan deals were counted as financed.
The interesting facts
Townhouses sell for $47,500 more than houses in the City of Fairfax.
Four things in the 2026 numbers that set the City of Fairfax apart.
City or county? Check the tax record. A listing that says "Fairfax, VA" can be in the City of Fairfax or in Fairfax County. The city has its own tax rate ($1.0725 per $100), police and schools; the county side pays $1.12 plus fees and feeds county schools. City sales closed in all three zips, 22030, 22031 and 22032, and so did county sales, so the zip does not settle it.
Why townhouses cost more here. The city's townhouses are newer and larger than its houses. Recent projects include EYA's Sutton Heights, 50 townhomes on Pickett Road, and Pulte's Overlook at Fairfax Boulevard, four-level townhomes with rooftop terraces. A 1960s rambler can cost less than a new townhouse in the same city, and it rents for less too: $3,650 a month for a house against $3,750 for a townhome.
Price it right. Five houses sold more than 15% over list, at least two of them to cash buyers, but one sold at 86% of its asking price. Where half the houses went under contract within a week, a price set above the comparable sales costs a seller time and leverage.
Rent or buy
A house sells for 18.7 times its yearly rent, and townhomes rent for more.
A City of Fairfax house rents for a median of $3,650 a month and sells for $820,000, a price-to-rent ratio of 18.7; a townhome rents for more, $3,750, and sells for $867,500, a ratio of 19.3.1
| Measure | Houses | Townhomes |
|---|---|---|
| Homes rented | 46 | 49 |
| Median monthly rent | $3,650 | $3,750 |
| Average monthly rent | $3,873 | $3,716 |
| Gross rental yield | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Rent range | $2,700 to $8,500 | $2,200 to $5,000 |
Gross yield is before the mortgage, tax, HOA, insurance and upkeep. A ratio under 20 means rent is high for what a home costs, so a family that plans to stay five years or more has a good case for buying in the city. A city house also rents for $350 a month less than one on the county side of Fairfax ($4,000). Rentals are filtered by home type only, with no bedroom or bathroom minimum, and the one $8,500 house lease was a large home; it does not change the median.
Own in the City of Fairfax already? Half the houses sold above asking this year. Ahmed runs a real comparative analysis against the 163 sales on this page, inside the city line, not a website estimate.
The houses
Mosby Woods brick from the early 1960s, and new townhouses on Pickett Road.
Many of the city's houses date from the 1950s and 1960s, on lots with mature trees, inside 6.24 square miles; the townhouses that lift the median are newer.
Mosby Woods. Yeonas built 467 houses here in the early 1960s, plus apartments and townhouses. The houses are brick split-levels, colonials and ramblers under mature hardwoods.
Country Club Hills. Built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with brick L-shaped ramblers and window walls across the back on large lots. The civic association has been active since 1954.
Sutton Heights. EYA's 50 townhomes at 3500 Pickett Road, on the former Metro Church site, backing to the Army Navy golf course. Five are affordable dwelling units for families earning up to 70% of the area median income; plans run from about 1,820 to 2,380 square feet.
Overlook at Fairfax Boulevard. Pulte's 60 homes, four-level townhomes with rooftop terraces and two-level condos; the townhouse plans run about 2,200 to 2,500 square feet. It is sold out, so homes there come up as resales.
What to check. The jurisdiction on the tax record (City of Fairfax or Fairfax County), whether the address is in the Old Town Service District, the HOA resale package on a townhouse, and the roof, windows, HVAC and electrical panel on a 1960s house.
Schools
Four city-owned schools, run by FCPS, and Fairfax High is #50 in Virginia.
The City of Fairfax owns its four public schools, and Fairfax County Public Schools runs them under a school services agreement signed in 1962. About 5,400 students attend, roughly 2,900 from the city and 2,500 from the county.3
A-
Fairfax High School
On Lion Run, about 2,400 students. US News #50 in Virginia and #12 of FCPS's high schools; 92% graduate on time. County students attend too.
A-
Katherine Johnson Middle School
Grades 7 and 8, about 1,165 students and a 12 to 1 student-teacher ratio. City students go on to Fairfax High.
B+ and B
Daniels Run and Providence
The city's two elementary schools, pre-K to 6th grade: Daniels Run on Blenheim Boulevard (811 students, Niche B+) and Providence on Jermantown Road (954, Niche B).
2030
Elementary renovations
The city has budgeted $177 million to renovate Providence and Daniels Run, neither renovated in more than 25 years. One timeline shown to the School Board has Daniels Run done for September 2030.
Masjid
Islamic Heritage Center
On Lee Highway near Fairfax Circle, a Sunni mosque since 2001, with the five daily prayers, Jumu'ah and classes in Arabic and tafseer.
Masjid
ICNVT
The Islamic Center of Northern Virginia Trust on Shirley Gate Road, founded in 1981, with lectures in Arabic, English and Urdu.
Halal
Halal Bazar
On Lee Highway inside the city: 100% halal meat, fresh bread, and Pakistani, Indian and South Asian groceries.
Halal
Halalway and Fairfax Halal
Halalway International Supermarket on Jermantown Road, family-owned, with a butcher counter; Fairfax Halal & Meat on Lee Highway near Fairfax Circle.
City addresses go to the city's own schools: Daniels Run or Providence, then Katherine Johnson and Fairfax High. FCPS hires the teachers and sets the curriculum, so the programs are the county's; the City School Board owns and keeps up the buildings. Because a Fairfax zip can be city or county, the school on a listing is not proof. FCPS registers city students; confirm the elementary school for a street with the FCPS Boundary Locator before you offer, and ask Ahmed to pull the assigned schools from the MLS record.
Commute
The Orange Line at Vienna/Fairfax-GMU, 29 minutes to Metro Center.
Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road), Route 29 and Route 50 run through the city, I-66 is a few minutes north, and the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Orange Line station is a short drive or CUE bus ride from Old Town.
| To | Drive | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown DC | 45 to 70 min | I-66 east, or the Orange Line from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU |
| Pentagon | 35 to 55 min | I-66 to Route 110, or Route 50 |
| Tysons | 20 to 30 min | Route 123 north |
| Reston Town Center | 25 to 35 min | Route 50 to the Fairfax County Parkway |
| Dulles Airport | 30 to 40 min | Route 50 or I-66 to Route 28 |
Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station sits in the I-66 median at Nutley Street, about 29 minutes from Metro Center, with parking at $4.85 a day. Orange Line trains run every 10 minutes, and weekday fares are $2.25 plus 45 cents a mile after three miles, capped at $6.75.5 The city's CUE bus runs two loops, Green on the east side and Gold on the west, linking Old Town, Fairfax Circle, Fair City Mall, George Mason and the station about every 30 to 35 minutes on weekdays. It has run fare-free under a pilot set to end with June 2026, so check the current fare with the city. On the I-66 Express Lanes, carpools of three ride free with an E-ZPass Flex; everyone else pays a toll that moves with traffic. Ahmed will do the 7:45 drive with you before you offer.
Daily life
Old Town's 50th Fall Festival, George Mason next door, and halal butchers on Lee Highway.
Old Town. Main Street and Chain Bridge Road are the historic center, with Old Town Square and its splash pad, open April to October. Historic Blenheim on Old Lee Highway is a farmhouse from about 1859 with more than 120 Union soldiers' signatures, drawings and poems on its walls; tours are free on Saturdays at 1 pm. The city's year runs from the Chocolate Lovers Festival in February (the 34th was February 6 to 8, 2026) to the Independence Day parade and fireworks (the 60th parade was canceled for heat in 2026, but the evening show went ahead) and the Fall Festival, whose 50th edition fills Old Town on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
George Mason next door. George Mason University, with about 39,600 students in fall 2025, sits just south of the city line in Fairfax County. EagleBank Arena on its campus seats 10,000 for games and concerts, and the CUE bus ties the campus to Old Town.
Parks and trails. Van Dyck Park, 36 acres, has courts, playgrounds and walking paths; Daniels Run Park, 48 acres, has a wooded trail along the stream. Daniels Run feeds Accotink Creek, and the Cross County Trail follows Accotink Creek south from Fairfax Boulevard toward Wakefield Park.
Food and errands. Fairfax Boulevard is lined with Korean kitchens, and Fair City Mall on Main Street and Fairfax Circle cover errands. Halal Bazar on Lee Highway is a halal butcher inside the city, with Halalway and Fairfax Halal & Meat close by.
Taxes and services.4 The city's 2026 real estate rate is $1.0725 per $100, about $8,800 a year on an $820,000 house and $9,300 on an $867,500 townhouse, before HOA dues and the city's separate stormwater fee. On the county side, the same $820,000 house would pay about $9,460 at the county's roughly $1.15. Homes in the Old Town Service District paid an extra $0.08 per $100 in 2025, about $660 on $820,000; check the 2026 levy. The car tax is $4.13 per $100 of value, against $4.57 in the county. The city runs its own police and collects trash, recycling and leaves.
Where to eat
"Ahmed, where do you go to eat?" The City of Fairfax list.
Up to five picks in each cuisine, inside the city or within about ten minutes, the one doing best at the top, and halal marked. Nearly all are on Main Street, Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax Boulevard, Lee Highway and Pickett Road.7
Closed, so not listed: Ornery Beer Company's public house on University Drive, Earp's Ordinary on Main Street and Paradise Biryani Pointe on James Swart Circle all show as closed on Yelp in 2026, and De Clieu's Lee Highway shop has closed (the Main Street one is open). Rankings weigh current Yelp ratings by review count; the halal note comes from Zabihah, Yelp or the restaurant itself, and "ask about halal" means it could not be confirmed. Know one that belongs here? Tell Ahmed.
Who buys here
Orange Line commuters, George Mason people, VA buyers and townhouse families.
Buyers who commute on the Orange Line from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU or work at George Mason; military and veteran families, 12 of the 121 house buyers used a VA loan; families who want a newer townhouse near Old Town; and Korean, Afghan, Arab and South Asian families who shop on Fairfax Boulevard and Lee Highway.
Buyers choose the city over the county side of Fairfax for about $165,000 less at the median house, a lower tax rate and city services such as leaf collection and the CUE bus. They choose a townhouse here for a newer, bigger home at about the price of an older house. If you are torn between the city and the county, settle schools and commute before price; the price follows.
Questions
What people ask about the City of Fairfax.
How much does a house cost in the City of Fairfax, Virginia in 2026?
The median single-family home in the City of Fairfax (3+ bedrooms, 2+ full baths) sold for $820,000 in 2026 through October 2, across 121 sales in Bright MLS, at $431 per square foot. Houses sold from $475,000 to $2,100,000. The median townhouse sold for more, $867,500 across 42 sales, because the townhouses are bigger and newer. Condominium-regime homes are not included.
What is the difference between Fairfax City and Fairfax County?
The City of Fairfax is an independent city, not part of Fairfax County, with its own government, tax rate, police and schools, and the county surrounds it. A Fairfax, VA address can be in either, even within the same zip code. In 2026 the median city house sold for $820,000 against $985,000 on the county side, and the city's real estate tax rate is $1.0725 per $100 against the county's $1.12 plus fees.
How competitive is the City of Fairfax housing market?
Competitive. In 2026 the median house went under contract in 7 days and 62 of 121 (51%) sold above asking, five of them for more than 115% of the list price. Townhouses went under contract in a median of 6 days, 62% within a week, and a third sold above asking.
Do City of Fairfax buyers pay cash or use VA loans?
About one house buyer in six paid cash: 21 of 121 (17.4%), at a median of $745,000, so cash leaned to the cheaper houses. 84 used a conventional loan and 12 a VA loan. Among townhouses, 7 of 42 buyers paid cash, including the two top sales at $1,400,000 and $1,300,000.
What is rent in the City of Fairfax, and is it better to rent or buy?
In 2026 the median house leased for $3,650 a month (46 leases) and the median townhome for $3,750 (49 leases). A house sells for 18.7 times its annual rent and a townhouse for 19.3, gross yields of 5.3% and 5.2%, so a family staying five years or more has a good case for buying.
What schools serve the City of Fairfax?
City addresses go to the city's own schools: Daniels Run or Providence Elementary (pre-K to 6), Katherine Johnson Middle (7 and 8) and Fairfax High (Niche A-, US News #50 in Virginia). The city owns the buildings and Fairfax County Public Schools runs them under contract. Confirm the elementary school for a specific street before you offer.
How long is the commute from the City of Fairfax to DC?
At 8 am on a weekday, downtown DC is about 45 to 70 minutes by car from Old Town, the Pentagon 35 to 55, Tysons 20 to 30, Reston Town Center 25 to 35 and Dulles Airport 30 to 40. The Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Orange Line station, a short drive or CUE bus ride away, is about 29 minutes from Metro Center. These drive times are estimates.
What is the property tax in the City of Fairfax, Virginia?
The city's 2026 real estate rate is $1.0725 per $100, roughly $8,800 a year on an $820,000 house and $9,300 on an $867,500 townhouse, plus a separate stormwater fee and any HOA dues. Homes in the Old Town Service District paid an extra $0.08 per $100 in 2025. The car tax is $4.13 per $100 of value, against $4.57 in Fairfax County.
Ask Ahmed
Your Trusted Realtor in NOVA.
Tell me what you are looking for in the City of Fairfax.
Buying a townhouse near Old Town, choosing between the city and the county side of a Fairfax address, or selling where half the houses went over asking. Send the situation and get the numbers back, in English or Arabic, not a pitch.
REALTOR®, Douglas Realty of Virginia · VA License #0225242357
Direct 703.957.0060 · Mobile 734.383.6945 · English and Arabic
Ahmed's take
Two or three sentences in Ahmed's own voice go here: who Ahmed sees buying in the City of Fairfax, how Ahmed helps a family choose between the city and the county side of a Fairfax address, and what Ahmed checks on every listing (the jurisdiction on the tax record, the school assignment and the HOA package).
دليل شمال فرجينيا
السكن في مدينة فيرفاكس، فرجينيا.
مدينة فيرفاكس مدينة مستقلة، ليست جزءاً من مقاطعة فيرفاكس: لها حكومتها وشرطتها ومدارسها ونسبة ضريبتها، وتحيط بها المقاطعة من جميع الجهات. بلغ السعر الوسطي للبيت المستقل 820,000 دولار، وللتاون هاوس 867,500، أي أن التاون هاوس أغلى من البيت.
عنوان "Fairfax, VA" قد يكون في المدينة أو في المقاطعة، والرمز البريدي لا يحسم ذلك، لذا تأكد من سجل الضريبة. وفي جهة المقاطعة التي تحمل العنوان نفسه، بلغ سعر البيت الوسطي 985,000. وحدات التاون هاوس في المدينة أكبر وأحدث، 2,643 قدماً مربعاً مقابل 2,336 للبيت، وإيجارها أعلى: 3,750 شهرياً مقابل 3,650. ضريبة العقار في المدينة لعام 2026 هي 1.0725 دولار لكل 100، أي نحو 8,800 دولار سنوياً على بيت بقيمة 820,000. المدارس: فيرفاكس هاي، والمدرسة المتوسطة كاثرين جونسون، والمدرستان الابتدائيتان دانيلز رن وبروفيدنس؛ تملكها المدينة وتديرها مدارس مقاطعة فيرفاكس (FCPS). ويقع المركز الإسلامي Islamic Heritage Center على شارع لي هايوي قرب فيرفاكس سيركل، ومتجر حلال بازار للحم الحلال على لي هايوي أيضاً. جميع الأرقام من Bright MLS، مبيعات مغلقة من 1 يناير إلى 2 أكتوبر 2026.
قبل أن تقدّم عرضاً، تأكد مما إذا كان البيت في المدينة أم في المقاطعة. هل تحتار بين مدينة فيرفاكس ومقاطعة فيرفاكس؟ أرسل لي تفاصيل وضعك، وسأحسب معك أرقامك الحقيقية، بالعربية أو بالإنجليزية.
وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.
Fairfax
Half sold over asking.
$985K
Median house, 2026
Oakton
82% of townhouses gone in a week.
$1.42M
Median house, 2026
Buying power
Start from the payment.
Tax, insurance and HOA included
Home valuation
Priced on evidence.
A real comparative analysis, not a website estimate
Fairfax County
Fifty-one years of prices.
$950K
Median house, September 2026
بالعربية
Every step, in Arabic.
بالعربية أو بالإنجليزية، كما تفضّل