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Moving to
Springfield.
Springfield 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 Springfield
Springfield 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. Springfield 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
- High rent burden for renters
How Springfield compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Springfield
Based on Springfield's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,312
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $106,240 a year
- 58% of Springfield renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$128,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $64,030
- 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▲ 88% above US
$2,656/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,656 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 $640,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $640,300 · 58% 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
Springfield 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▲ 12% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% take public transit; 18% 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▲ 30% above US
47% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (9 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Springfield'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 ($2,656/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Springfield
All Virginia guides →Moving to Franconia →
2 mi away · pop. 18,335
Rent $2,605/mo · Income $152,474
Compare with Springfield →Moving to West Springfield →
3 mi away · pop. 22,532
Rent $2,455/mo · Income $163,115
Compare with Springfield →Moving to Newington →
3 mi away · pop. 13,478
Rent $2,805/mo · Income $155,027
Compare with Springfield →Moving to Kingstowne →
3 mi away · pop. 18,360
Rent $2,406/mo · Income $151,535
Compare with Springfield →Not sure Springfield is the one?
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