Where Are People Moving in Fairfax, VA?

IRS county-to-county migration, 2023 tax year (released about two years after the tax year it covers).

People moving in

34,095

People moving out

38,672

Net migration

-9,441

Fairfax, VA is a net loser of residents. In the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), 34,095 people moved in and 38,672 moved out, for a net loss of -9,441. Net outflows can soften local rent and price growth over time, though the cause matters as much as the number.

Migration is most useful read alongside the rest of the market. People move for jobs, affordability, climate, and lifestyle, and where they come from and go to says a lot about what a county is competing on. Below are the specific counties driving Fairfax, VA’s flows in each direction.

Top counties people moved to Fairfax, VA from

Origin countyReturnsPeople
Arlington, VAVirginia3,6485,460
Alexandria, VAVirginia3,3515,542
Loudoun, VAVirginia2,8144,676
Prince William, VAVirginia2,8054,666
District of Columbia, DCDistrict of Columbia1,6622,572
Montgomery, MDMaryland1,3962,168
Prince George's, MDMaryland1,2922,182
Fairfax, VAVirginia6981,099
Los Angeles, CACalifornia348603
Stafford, VAVirginia338547

Top counties people left Fairfax, VA for

Destination countyReturnsPeople
Loudoun, VAVirginia4,2877,977
Prince William, VAVirginia4,2127,952
Arlington, VAVirginia2,7243,653
Alexandria, VAVirginia2,5363,753
District of Columbia, DCDistrict of Columbia1,1771,483
Prince George's, MDMaryland1,1071,799
Montgomery, MDMaryland1,0401,651
Fairfax, VAVirginia8431,297
Stafford, VAVirginia6541,350
New York, NYNew York538588

“Returns” counts tax returns (a household proxy) that moved along each flow; “People” counts the individuals on those returns, when reported. IRS aggregate and foreign pseudo-rows are excluded. Informational only, not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

Are people moving to Fairfax, VA or leaving?

Fairfax, VA had a net loss of -9,441 residents in the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), with 34,095 people moving in and 38,672 moving out. Net migration is inflow minus outflow.

Where are people moving to Fairfax, VA from?

The largest sources of new Fairfax, VA residents are Arlington, VA, Alexandria, VA, Loudoun, VA. The full top-ten list of origin counties is in the table above.

Where do people leaving Fairfax, VA go?

People leaving Fairfax, VA most often move to Loudoun, VA, Prince William, VA, Arlington, VA. The full top-ten list of destination counties is in the table above.

What does Fairfax, VA migration mean for housing?

Migration is a leading demand signal. Sustained net inflows tend to support rents and home prices when supply cannot keep up, while net outflows can soften them. Read this alongside Fairfax, VA's price forecast, building permits, and affordability on the full county dashboard before drawing a conclusion.

How current is this Fairfax, VA migration data?

It comes from IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, which is released about two years after the tax year it covers; the figures above reflect the 2023 tax year. That lag is normal for this dataset, which counts actual tax returns rather than survey estimates.