Is Fair Oaks, VA a Good Place to Live?
Fair Oaks is a small city of 35,130 in Virginia, with a median household income of $118,819 and a 5.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 109 (US average = 100), which is 9% above the national average.
Strengths: Fair Oaks stands out for solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Fair Oaks is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fair Oaks city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 108.6Fair Oaks's overall cost of living index is 108.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fair Oaks costs roughly 9% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Fair Oaks, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $552,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,222 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 44.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $118,819 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeFair Oaks's violent crime rate is 113.0 per 100,000 residents — 70% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Fair Oaks is served primarily by Fairfax County Public Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Fair Oaks, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Fairfax County Public Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 141 | — |
| Middle Schools | 24 | — |
| High Schools | 28 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 71.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fair Oaks sees average highs of 42.3°F in January and 83.8°F in July, with 43.6 inches of annual precipitation and 18.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Fair Oaks, VA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 42.3°F |
| Average High — July | 83.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 18.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Fair Oaks, VA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,130 | — |
| Median Age | 34.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 30.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 51.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 10.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 27.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 8.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fair Oaks
Fair Oaks, VA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: