CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.73° N · 77.12° W · GEOID 5187410

Woodlawn

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

VirginiaWoodlawn, VAWoodlawnWoodlawn

The short answer

Woodlawn is home to 21,194 people. Median household income is $91,884 a year and median rent is $1,828 a month, 23.9% 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 $367,200, about 4.0x annual median household income.

Woodlawn stands out for what is close at hand. 40 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the highest of 195 Virginia places we track. Also notable: 67% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 93% of places its size.

16OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Woodlawn scores better than 16% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 179th of 190 in Virginia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%35
Economy 20%48
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%27
Education 10%52
Commute 10%13
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,828
34% above the median place
Median household income
$91,884
14% above the median place
Median home value
$367,200
15% above the median place
Unemployment
5.7%
17% above 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.

01

Moving to Woodlawn

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
4.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% 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
$73,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,828 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,160 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $367,200.
Getting to work
32 minutes each way on average; 12.5% work from home; 8.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Addison, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
1.4%
29% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.9%
15% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$112,552
60% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWoodlawnAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.9%15% below
Moved from another state11.4%29% below
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 67.3%, 33% above the median place.

Woodlawn23.9%
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
$73,120
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.9%
17% above the median place
Home price to income
4.0x
5% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$69,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Woodlawn, $1,828 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 Woodlawn, but easier on the budget

Places that match Woodlawn on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Addison, IL9016.5% vs 23.9%$4,300Compare
Glenmont, MD8519.2% vs 23.9%$32,200Compare
Roselle Park, NJ8418.2% vs 23.9%$15,500Compare
Lexington, NE8117.1% vs 23.9%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Woodlawn? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
67.3%
33% above the median place
Vacant homes1
4.7%
34% below the median place
Homeownership1
58.7%
12% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureWoodlawnAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,82834% above
Rent to income123.9%17% above
Property tax rate11.1%19% above
Home price to income14.0x5% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure108.98% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,43851% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,96221% above
Median home value1$367,20015% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.1%34% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure35.3%32% below
Homeownership158.7%12% below
Renters paying 30%+167.3%33% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,16015% above
Vacant homes14.7%34% below
Median year built119750% below
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 215 hours a year commuting, more than in 88% of the 2,241 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Commutes by transit1
8.5%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
32 min
30% above the median place
Unemployment1
5.7%
17% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$91,884 +14%
Income per person$41,186 +3%
Poverty rate10.6% −2%
Works from home12.5% +0%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWoodlawnAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$91,88414% above
Income per person1$41,1863% above
Unemployment15.7%17% above
Average annual pay5County figure$115,00474% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure0.8%78% below
Jobs5County figure634,638321% above
Poverty rate110.6%2% below
Mean commute132 min30% above
Works from home112.5%0% above
Commutes by transit18.5%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

42% of residents were born outside the US, more than in 97% of the 2,199 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Born abroad1
42.5%
381% above the median place
High school or higher1
80.3%
13% below the median place
No health insurance1
14.8%
131% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.8 +12%
Median age37.1 −5%
Homes with broadband91.6% −1%
Bachelor's or higher32.8% +2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureWoodlawnAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population121,1942196th largest
Median age137.15% below
Bachelor's or higher132.8%2% above
High school or higher180.3%13% below
Household size12.812% above
Born abroad142.5%381% above
No health insurance114.8%131% above
Homes with broadband191.6%1% below
05

Life in Woodlawn

About 0 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, fewer than in 84% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 195 Virginia places we track.

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 residents5.7 −44%
Playgrounds per 10k4.3 −55%
Grocery stores per 10k1.9 −11%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.3 −70%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.6 12.5×

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

  • Piscataway Park 4 miles
  • Fort Washington Park 5 miles
  • Fort Foote Park 5 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
4.0
87% 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
MeasureWoodlawnAmong 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 10k85.744% below
Playgrounds per 10k84.355% below
Grocery stores per 10k81.911% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k83.370% below
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi82.6above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site94.087% 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 Woodlawn. 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
MeasureWoodlawnAmong 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

Woodlawn in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 24% 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. On projected 2030 affordability, Woodlawn does better than 37% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 7%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,828/mo (2024)$2,320/mo$1,900 to $2,820/mo+4.0%
Median household income$91,884 (2024)$116,000$98,000 to $137,500+4.0%
Median home value$367,200 (2024)$508,000$369,000 to $700,000+5.6%

The median home would be worth 4.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.0 now.

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

09

Places like Woodlawn

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

PlaceRentIncome
Freeport, FL$1,859$91,985Compare
Scotchtown, NY$1,813$96,689Compare
Seabrook, MD$1,840$98,157Compare
Bear, DE$1,771$91,687Compare
Bear, DESeabrook, MDScotchtown, NYFreeport, FLWoodlawn, VAWoodlawnFreeportScotchtownBearWoodlawnFreeportScotchtownBear

Places built like Woodlawn

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Woodlawn performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Woodlawn, VA23.9%4.0%/yrn/a
Ives Estates, FL35.1%5.0%/yrn/aCompare
Doraville, GA33.3%5.4%/yr11.9%Compare
Beltsville, MD23.6%4.2%/yrn/aCompare
Seabrook, MD22.5%5.3%/yrn/aCompare
New Carrollton, MD25.7%4.0%/yr-0.0%Compare
Oakland Park, FL29.8%7.2%/yr2.1%Compare

Common questions

Is Woodlawn a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 16 out of 100, better than 16% of the places we rate and 179th of 190 in Virginia. On cost, space and class size it scores 41 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Woodlawn expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $367,200.

What salary do you need to live in Woodlawn?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $73,120 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Woodlawn?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Freeport, FL, Scotchtown, NY, Seabrook, MD and Bear, DE.

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 Woodlawn with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Woodlawn itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/woodlawn-fairfax-county-virginia

Citytistics. “Woodlawn, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/woodlawn-fairfax-county-virginia/

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