What it's like to live in Rose Hill (Fairfax County)
Rose Hill (Fairfax County) is a small city 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. Rose Hill (Fairfax County) deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Shrinking population
How Rose Hill (Fairfax County) compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Rose Hill (Fairfax County)
Based on Rose Hill (Fairfax County)'s median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,950
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $99,000 a year
- 42% of Rose Hill (Fairfax County) renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$137,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $68,760
- Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 75% above US
$2,475/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,475 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $687,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $687,600 · 42% 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
Rose Hill (Fairfax County) 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▲ 28% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.3 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; 7% take public transit; 28% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 32°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 72% above US
62% 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
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 Fort Foote Park (4 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Rose Hill (Fairfax County)'s strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,475/mo) equals 17% 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 (28% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
See all the data for Rose Hill (Fairfax County) →·All Virginia cities →
Other places near Rose Hill (Fairfax County)
All Virginia guides →Moving to Groveton →
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Rent $1,820/mo · Income $101,974
Compare with Rose Hill (Fairfax County) →Moving to Kingstowne →
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Compare with Rose Hill (Fairfax County) →Moving to Huntington →
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Compare with Rose Hill (Fairfax County) →Moving to Franconia →
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