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Living in
Difficult Run.
The Census tops out at $250,000+ for household income; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.
Difficult Run 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.
About
Life in Difficult Run
Difficult Run is a community of 10,202 people in Virginia. The median household income is $250,001, and median home values are around $1,111,400. Unemployment is low at 3.2%, suggesting a relatively healthy local job market.
Difficult Run at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
45.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Foreign-Born
17.2%
Broadband Internet
99.3%
of households
Median household income
Demographics17.2% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Difficult Run: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Difficult Run, the largest foreign-born group is from India (23.7%), and 5.0% of residents speak Other Indo-European at home.
Under 18
26.8%
of residents
65 and Older
18.2%
of residents
Households with Kids
42.8%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
5.7%
of households
Married Couples
89.5%
of households
Avg Household Size
3.17
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Living
Rent, home values, and income in Difficult Run
In Difficult Run, home values are 190% above the VA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
37.0%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
0.0%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
108.9
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Homeowners
97.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1982
median year built
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for VA
Unemployment in Difficult Run and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Fairfax County, which includes Difficult Run, is close to the VA average.
Unemployment rate
Difficult Run: Fairfax County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Fairfax County (county-wide) · Annual averages
Difficult Run is less than 1% of Fairfax County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
What Difficult Run Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area
Commute30.1 min avg
How Difficult Run residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Difficult Run, most residents drive alone to work (53%), and 58% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 6 mi
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Major hub13.9M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 67% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in the area policed by the Fairfax County Police Department, which covers Difficult Run, runs 67% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
109.5
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,437.9
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Policed by Fairfax County Police Department (county-wide rate)
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 29 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
94.7 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Fairfax County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Fairfax County, which includes Difficult Run, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 29 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.3M |
| 2024 | 17 | Thunderstorm Wind | $18,000 |
| 2023 | 19 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.9M |
| 2022 | 38 | Thunderstorm Wind | $442,500 |
| 2021 | 56 | Thunderstorm Wind | $613,500 |
| 2020 | 56 | Thunderstorm Wind | $307,000 |
| 2019 | 55 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2018 | 53 | Flood | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Fairfax County, county-wide
Difficult Run is less than 1% of Fairfax County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality42 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Fairfax County, which includes Difficult Run, is typically good — 284 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
42
Good Days
284
per year
Moderate Days
80
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Fairfax County, county-wide
Difficult Run is less than 1% of Fairfax County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate82°F summers, 25°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Difficult Run has warm summers (avg high 82°F) and cold winters (avg low 25°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
63°/42°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
82°/64°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
66°/46°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
45°/25°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
46.4"
Annual Snowfall
18.5"
Hot Days/Year
13
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
99
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
124
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 23°F | 3.28" |
| Feb | 45°F | 24°F | 2.62" |
| Mar | 53°F | 32°F | 3.84" |
| Apr | 65°F | 41°F | 3.39" |
| May | 72°F | 52°F | 4.28" |
| Jun | 80°F | 61°F | 4.13" |
| Jul | 84°F | 67°F | 4.26" |
| Aug | 82°F | 65°F | 3.54" |
| Sep | 76°F | 57°F | 4.16" |
| Oct | 65°F | 45°F | 3.51" |
| Nov | 56°F | 35°F | 3.13" |
| Dec | 46°F | 28°F | 3.43" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Difficult Run
Uninsured
0.3%
of residents
No hospitals inside Difficult Run's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · 1.7 mi away · Fairfax
Reston Hospital Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.1 mi away · Reston
Inova Fairfax Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 7.5 mi away · Falls Church
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education85.5% college degree rate
Schools and degree attainment in Difficult Run
Public Schools
0
none inside city limits; students attend nearby district schools
Private Schools
2
within city limits
College Degree Rate
85.5%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Difficult Run (within 15 miles)
Northern Virginia Community College
8 mi awayPublic · 2-year · 33,048 students · in-state tuition $6,062 · 30% graduate · median earnings $56,892 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 7,266 students · in-state tuition $62,242 · 79% graduate · median earnings $85,458 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,810 students · in-state tuition $42,986 · 66% graduate · median earnings $74,032 (10 yrs after entry)
Private for-profit · 4-year · 1,668 students · in-state tuition $13,920 · 28% graduate · median earnings $44,016 (10 yrs after entry)
Chamberlain University-Virginia
7.3 mi awayPrivate for-profit · 4-year · 557 students · in-state tuition $20,845 · 70% graduate · median earnings $96,897 (10 yrs after entry)
Arizona College of Nursing-Falls Church
8 mi awayPrivate for-profit · 4-year · 348 students · in-state tuition $25,133 · median earnings $41,223 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 5 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Difficult Run
Difficult Run has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (5 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
National Park Site
5 mi awayGreat Falls Park
Park
8 mi awayChesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
National Historical Park
9 mi awayManassas National Battlefield Park
National Battlefield Park
11 mi awayClara Barton National Historic Site
National Historic Site
12 mi awayGeorge Washington Memorial Parkway
Memorial Parkway
12 mi awayGlen Echo Park
Park
12 mi awayArlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
National Park Site
15 mi awayCities Near Difficult Run
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Difficult Run?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Difficult Run FAQ
Is Difficult Run, Virginia safe?⌄
Difficult Run is policed by the Fairfax County Police Department, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 110 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1438 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Difficult Run, Virginia?⌄
Fairfax County, which includes Difficult Run, has an unemployment rate of 3.2%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
How is the commute in Difficult Run, Virginia?⌄
The average commute in Difficult Run is 30 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from