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Moving to
Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, VA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an unincorporated community in Virginia with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mount Vernon deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
How Mount Vernon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mount Vernon
Based on Mount Vernon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,240
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,800 a year
- 60% of Mount Vernon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$167,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $83,620
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 15% above US
$1,620/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,620 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $836,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $836,200 · 60% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Fairfax County is 3.2%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Fairfax County (county-wide)
Safety
110 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Mount Vernon doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Fairfax County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1438/100k · Policed by Fairfax County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.1 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 29% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 77% above US
64% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Piscataway Park (2 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Mount Vernon's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,620/mo) equals 12% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (29% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Mount Vernon
All Virginia guides →Moving to Woodlawn CDP (Fairfax County) →
2 mi away · pop. 21,194
Rent $1,828/mo · Income $91,884
Compare with Mount Vernon →Moving to Fort Hunt →
2 mi away · pop. 16,700
Rent $3,500+/mo · Income $216,038
Compare with Mount Vernon →Moving to Hybla Valley →
3 mi away · pop. 17,257
Rent $1,631/mo · Income $80,959
Compare with Mount Vernon →Moving to Groveton →
4 mi away · pop. 13,931
Rent $1,820/mo · Income $101,974
Compare with Mount Vernon →Not sure Mount Vernon is the one?
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