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Wolf Trap.

All Wolf Trap data Compare Wolf Trap

15,858people live here $250,000+median household incomeCensus top category $3,500+median rent per monthCensus top category $1,204,000median home value▲ 262% above US

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent and $250,000+ for household income; it doesn't publish exact figures above those.

Wolf Trap 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 Wolf Trap

Wolf Trap 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 class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Wolf Trap deals with rent well above the national average, 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
Average class sizes

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Above-average commute times
High rent burden for renters
Cold winters

How Wolf Trap compares

Median household income

Wolf Trap$250,000+

Virginia avg$93,170

US$80,734

The Census tops out at $250,000+ for household income; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median rent (per month)

Wolf Trap$3,500+

Virginia avg$1,579

US$1,413

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median home value

Wolf Trap$1,204,000

Virginia avg$383,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Wolf Trap

Based on Wolf Trap's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$7,002

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $140,040 a year
50% of Wolf Trap renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$240,800

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $120,400
Homes cost 4.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingCensus top category

$3,500+/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,500+ 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 $1,204,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $1,204,000 · 50% 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

Wolf Trap 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▲ 17% above US

30 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.3 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. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 45% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

47%

Work from home

45%

Carpool

4.3%

Public transit

2.5%

Other

1.1%

Walk

0.2%

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)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 136% above US

85% 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

2 public schools inside the boundary

There are 2 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to 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 Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (1 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Wolf Trap'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. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (45% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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