West 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 West Springfield

West 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. West 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
  • Cold winters

How West Springfield compares

Median household income

West Springfield$163,115
Virginia avg$93,170
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

West Springfield$2,455
Virginia avg$1,579
US$1,413

Median home value

West Springfield$637,300
Virginia avg$383,700
US$332,700

What it takes to move to West Springfield

Based on West Springfield's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,910

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $98,200 a year
  • 42% of West Springfield renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$127,460

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $63,730
  • 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▲ 74% above US

$2,455/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,455 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 $637,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $637,300 · 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

West 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▲ 24% above US

32 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.2 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; 8% take public transit; 26% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
55%
Work from home
26%
Carpool
9.1%
Public transit
7.8%
Walk
1.2%
Other
1.1%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°4.5"Jan: 3.28" precipitationFeb: 2.62" precipitationMar: 3.84" precipitationApr: 3.39" precipitationMay: 4.28" precipitationJun: 4.13" precipitationJul: 4.26" precipitationAug: 3.54" precipitationSep: 4.16" precipitationOct: 3.51" precipitationNov: 3.13" precipitationDec: 3.43" precipitation23°JJan: high 42°F, low 23°FFFeb: high 45°F, low 24°FMMar: high 53°F, low 32°FAApr: high 65°F, low 41°FMMay: high 72°F, low 52°FJJun: high 80°F, low 61°F84°JJul: high 84°F, low 67°FAAug: high 82°F, low 65°FSSep: high 76°F, low 57°FOOct: high 65°F, low 45°FNNov: high 56°F, low 35°FDDec: high 46°F, low 28°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 79% above US

65% 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

6 public schools inside the boundary

There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 5 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 Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (11 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

West 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 ($2,455/mo) equals 18% 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 (26% 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.

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