CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.83° N · 77.27° W · GEOID 5146760

Long Branch

Fairfax County, Virginia · part of the Washington, DC metro

Limited data core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

VirginiaLong Branch, VALong BranchLong Branch

The short answer

Long Branch is home to 7,034 people. Median household income is $185,208 a year and median rent is $2,276 a month, 14.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $842,400, about 4.5x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,276
67% above the median place
Median household income
$185,208
131% above the median place
Median home value
$842,400
164% above the median place
Unemployment
2.4%
51% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Long Branch

  • 1.6% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 99% of the 2,082 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 168 Virginia places.
  • The median household earns $185,208 a year, more than in 96% of places its size.
  • Unemployment averaged 2.4% over the survey period, lower than in 95% of places its size.
  • 31% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 94% of places its size.
  • The median home is valued at $842,400, more than in 93% of places its size.

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 96% of places we track, yet 68% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 95 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Long Branch

Fairfax County loses about 9.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in67,280
Moved out76,453
Net−9,173

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Loudoun County, VA4,6767,977−3,301
Prince William County, VA4,6667,952−3,286
Alexandria city, VA5,5423,753+1,789
Arlington County, VA5,4603,653+1,807
District of Columbia, DC2,5721,483+1,089
Montgomery County, MD2,1681,651+517

Within Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within VirginiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$106K
Leavers$113K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Fairfax County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Fairfax County report $105,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $112,600, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$91,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,276 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,474 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $842,400.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 31.0% work from home; 4.7% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Castle Pines, CO matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.8%
33% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$112,552
60% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
-9.1
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLong BranchAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.8%33% below
Moved from another state1County figure3.2%62% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-9.1below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$105,65750% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$112,55260% above
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 68.2%, 35% above the median place.

Long Branch14.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$91,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
14.7%
28% below the median place
Home price to income
4.5x
20% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$157,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Long Branch, $2,276 a month, and local prices for everything else (100.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Long Branch, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY11.6% vs 14.7%n/aCompare
Medfield, MA11.0% vs 14.7%n/aCompare
Hillsdale, NJ11.3% vs 14.7%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Long Branch.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Long Branch? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
68.2%
35% above the median place
Median home value1
$842,400
164% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,474
86% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureLong BranchAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$2,27667% above
Rent to income114.7%28% below
Property tax rate11.0%9% above
Home price to income14.5x20% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure108.98% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,43851% above
Property tax paid (median)1$8,374157% above
Median home value1$842,400164% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.1%34% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure35.3%32% below
Homeownership185.3%29% above
Renters paying 30%+168.2%35% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,47486% above
Vacant homes1County figure3.7%47% below
Median year built119690% below
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 1.6%, 85% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
1.6%
85% below the median place
Median household income1
$185,208
131% above the median place
Unemployment1
2.4%
51% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home31.0% 2.5×
Income per person$75,618 +89%
Mean commute27 min +7%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLong BranchAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$185,208131% above
Income per person1$75,61889% above
Unemployment12.4%51% below
Average annual pay5County figure$115,00474% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure0.8%78% below
Jobs5County figure634,638321% above
Poverty rate11.6%85% below
Mean commute127 min7% above
Works from home131.0%149% above
Commutes by transit1County figure4.7%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 99.1%, 7% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
99.1%
7% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
66.5%
108% above the median place
Median age1
46.3
19% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad24.5% 2.8×
High school or higher95.8% +4%
Household size2.8 +12%
All 8 people measures
MeasureLong BranchAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17,0345378th largest
Median age146.319% above
Bachelor's or higher166.5%108% above
High school or higher195.8%4% above
Household size12.812% above
Born abroad124.5%178% above
No health insurance1County figure7.1%11% above
Homes with broadband199.1%7% above
05

Life in Long Branch

The nearest National Park Service site is Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, about 7 miles away.

66 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.8 +26%
Playgrounds per 10k14.2 +51%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −90%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi9.3 44.3×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts 7 miles
  • George Washington Memorial Parkway 11 miles
  • Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park 11 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.4 +3%
Shops21.4 −29%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.1 +0%
Doctors' offices and clinics26.6 +32%
Child care centers3.2 +39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site9
7.4
76% below the median place
Shops per 10k7
21.4
29% below the median place
Public school students11
174,475
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureLong BranchAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure222above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure174,475above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure13.810% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure21.43% above
Shops per 10k7County figure21.429% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.10% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure26.632% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure3.239% above
Parks per 10k812.826% above
Playgrounds per 10k814.251% above
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.290% below
Transit stops per sq mi89.3above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site97.476% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles940above (median 2)
National Register listings10County figure66above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 34.0, 45% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Long Branch. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk13
34.0
45% below the median place
Hurricane risk13
93.0
32% above the median place
Tornado risk13
54.5
33% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureLong BranchAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure88°F1% above
January average low12County figure26°F4% above
Average temperature12County figure56°F3% above
Annual precipitation12County figure43.2 in1% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure94.72% above
Hurricane risk13County figure93.032% above
Tornado risk13County figure54.533% below
Wildfire risk13County figure34.045% below
Heat wave risk13County figure97.18% above
Median air quality index14County figure422% below
Good air days14County figure77.8%14% above
08

Long Branch in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 8% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 8% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,229/mo (2024)$1,540/mo$1,270 to $1,880/mo+3.9%
Median household income$185,208 (2024)$231,500$195,500 to $274,000+3.8%
Median home value$842,400 (2024)$1,184,000$859,000 to $1,631,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 5.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Long Branch

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Castle Pines, CO$2,211$191,229Compare
Shady Hollow, TX$2,184$170,217Compare
Lansdowne, VA$2,365$168,731Compare
North Potomac, MD$2,413$186,514Compare
North Potomac, MDLansdowne, VAShady Hollow, TXCastle Pines, COLong Branch, VALong BranchCastle PinesShady HollowLansdowneLong BranchCastle PinesShady HollowLansdowne

Common questions

Is Long Branch a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 1.6% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 99% of the 2,082 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 168 Virginia places. The median household earns $185,208 a year, more than in 96% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 95 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Long Branch expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $842,400.

What salary do you need to live in Long Branch?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $91,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Long Branch?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Castle Pines, CO, Shady Hollow, TX, Lansdowne, VA and North Potomac, MD.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Long Branch with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Long Branch itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/long-branch-virginia

Citytistics. “Long Branch, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/long-branch-virginia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.