© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Living in
Lorton.
Lorton 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 Lorton
If you're considering a move to Lorton, you're looking at a solidly middle-to-upper-middle-class suburb in southern Fairfax County with real commuting advantages and a genuinely diverse community. You'll be car-dependent—it's Fairfax County, after all—but the VRE Fredericksburg Line gets you to D.C. in a reasonable timeframe, and you're just 15 miles from Alexandria and 19 miles from the capital if you're commuting regularly. The neighborhood itself is about 39% White, 30% African American, 18% Asian, and 17% Latino, which translates to real cultural diversity in your day-to-day life; the area genuinely reflects that in small ways, from community events to the local food scene.
Lorton at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
35.9 yrs
Poverty Rate
7.4%
Foreign-Born
32.7%
Broadband Internet
98.1%
of households
Population Growth
+5.2%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics32.7% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Lorton: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Lorton, the largest foreign-born group is from India (9.6%), and 10.3% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
26.4%
of residents
65 and Older
11.1%
of residents
Households with Kids
45.4%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
17.7%
of households
Married Couples
66.1%
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 Livingrent 61% above VA average
Rent, home values, and income in Lorton
In Lorton, rent runs 61% above the VA average, and home values are 63% above the VA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
53.2%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
28.2%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
108.9
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$6,119
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
64.4%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1997
median year built
Vacant Homes
9.9%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $646,825 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for VA
Unemployment in Lorton and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Fairfax County, which includes Lorton, is close to the VA average.
Unemployment rate
Lorton: Fairfax County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Fairfax County (county-wide) · Annual averages
Lorton is about 2% of Fairfax County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
What Lorton 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
Commute30.7 min avg
How Lorton residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Lorton, most residents drive alone to work (59%), and 49% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 14 mi
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Major hub12.0M 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 Lorton, 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 Lorton, 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
Lorton is about 2% 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 Lorton, 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
Lorton is about 2% 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
Lorton 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
47.3"
Annual Snowfall
13.4"
Hot Days/Year
13
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
99
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
116
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 Lorton
Uninsured
10.1%
of residents
No hospitals inside Lorton's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
Acute Care - Department of Defense · ER available · 4.2 mi away · Fort Belvoir
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.9 mi away · Woodbridge
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.1 mi away · Alexandria
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.
Education15.6:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Lorton
Lorton's student/teacher ratio is 15.6:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 60.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
1
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
60.6%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
15.6:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Lorton (within 15 miles)
Northern Virginia Community College
9 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 · 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
14.2 mi awayPrivate for-profit · 4-year · 557 students · in-state tuition $20,845 · 70% graduate · median earnings $96,897 (10 yrs after entry)
Washington University of Science and Technology
10 mi awayPrivate for-profit · 4-year · 400 students · in-state tuition $14,595 · 68% graduate
Arizona College of Nursing-Falls Church
10.8 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: Piscataway Park, 8 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Lorton
Lorton has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Piscataway Park (8 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Piscataway Park
Park
8 mi awayFort Washington Park
Park
10 mi awayFort Foote Park
Park
11 mi awayHarmony Hall
National Park Site
12 mi awayPrince William Forest Park
Park
12 mi awayOxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm
National Park Site
13 mi awayArlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
National Park Site
15 mi awayLBJ Memorial Grove on the Potomac
National Park Site
15 mi awayPublic Libraries in Lorton
Lorton Community Library
9520 Richmond Highway, Lorton
Cities Near Lorton
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Lorton?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Lorton FAQ
Is Lorton, Virginia affordable?⌄
Lorton's median rent is $2,548/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $138,685/year. Median home value is $626,500.
Is Lorton, Virginia safe?⌄
Lorton 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 Lorton, Virginia?⌄
Fairfax County, which includes Lorton, has an unemployment rate of 3.2%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Lorton, Virginia?⌄
The cost of living in Lorton is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $2,548/month and median household income is $138,685/year. The median home value is $626,500. About 53% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Lorton, Virginia?⌄
The average commute in Lorton is 31 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