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In all most every measure, Fairfax County compares favorably to other areas
of the country and the world, from its business climate to the cost of real
estate to the cost of living. The
following charts show how Fairfax County stacks
up against a sampling of similar suburban metro counties in the U.S.
Technology Industry | Office Space | Employment Growth | Unemployment Rate |
Cost of Living | Housing | Income | Education
Technology Industry Base
| |
Tech Companies |
Tech Jobs |
| County/Area |
Number |
Share of all firms in county |
Number |
Share of all jobs in county |
| Fairfax County, VA |
5,707 |
20.2% |
138,033 |
24.0% |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
5,575 |
12.3% |
168,044 |
19.0% |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
3,761 |
8.8% |
113,145 |
13.9% |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
3,741 |
5.9% |
98,311 |
9.5% |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
2,531 |
7.2% |
40,680 |
5.3% |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C.) area |
2,517 |
9.3% |
48,393 |
11.3% |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
2,423 |
7.1% |
40,120 |
6.7% |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
1,363 |
7.6% |
23,365 |
7.9% |
* Published data only (non-disclosure may affect totals).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2006; Virginia Employment
Commission, 2007
Employment Growth
| Metro |
Annual Growth |
| New York |
121,700 |
| Chicago |
54,600 |
| Seattle |
51,800 |
| Atlanta |
36,300 |
| Washington, D.C. |
30,800 |
| Boston |
22,900 |
| San Jose |
16,900 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007
Unemployment Rate
| Area |
Rate |
| Fairfax County, VA |
2.2% |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
2.7% |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
3.0% |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
3.6% |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
3.7% |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
3.8% |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
4.6% |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
4.7% |
Source: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2007
Cost of Living
Major U.S. metropolitan areas; U.S. = 100
| |
Composite |
Food |
Housing |
Utilities |
Healthcare |
| Atlanta |
96.1 |
98.8 |
91.7 |
85.6 |
100.5 |
| Chicago |
110.5 |
104.1 |
127.4 |
111.2 |
98.6 |
| Seattle |
123.4 |
119.1 |
149.9 |
81.5 |
123.8 |
| Boston |
134.8 |
113.9 |
158.7 |
144.6 |
133.6 |
| Washington, D.C. |
138.4 |
105.7 |
222.3 |
93.6 |
103.5 |
| San Jose |
156.7 |
140.0 |
246.7 |
119.3 |
120.4 |
| New York City |
220.2 |
145.2 |
408.5 |
176.9 |
133.3 |
Source: Council for Community and Economic Research, ACCRA
Cost of Living Index,second quarter 2008
Metro Area Housing Comparison
| Metropolitan Area |
Median Sales Price —
Single Family Homes |
| San Francisco |
$846,800 |
| San Diego |
$614,100 |
| Los Angeles |
$593,000 |
| New York City |
$557,500 |
| Washington, D.C. |
$445,300 |
| Boston |
$413,300 |
| Seattle |
$395,300 |
Source: National Association of Realtors; Based on 2Q 2007 figures
Income
| County (Region) |
Median Family Income |
Median Household Income |
Per Capita Income |
| Fairfax County, VA |
122,027 |
105,241 |
48,428 |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
111,464 |
94,684 |
45,516 |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
108,464 |
91,835 |
46,568 |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
99,972 |
84,360 |
39,237 |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
93,997 |
74,700 |
38,352 |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
89,098 |
73,472 |
37,565 |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
85,828 |
67,010 |
37,717 |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
82,508 |
58,837 |
37,651 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2007
Education
Educational Attainment—Adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher
| County (state) |
Percent |
| Fairfax County, VA |
59.0% |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
57.4% |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
48.6% |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
48.4% |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
47.2% |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
44.9% |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
44.5% |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
44.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey,
2007
Educational Systems
| County (Region) |
Enrollment |
Spending per Pupil ($000) |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
257,786 |
10.2 |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
254,622 |
11.5 |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
213,253 |
17.0 |
| Fairfax County, VA |
163,753 |
13.4 |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
162,520 |
11.3 |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
139,398 |
15.1 |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
131,870 |
11.9 |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
79,878 |
17.6 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2006
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