FAIRFAX COUNTY PROFILE

Presented by Fairfax County Office of Public AffairsUpdated: February 2012

STRUCTURE

Commonwealth of Virginia is a Dillion Rule State.

Fairfax operates under the urban county executive form of government.

Fairfax has limited powers.

STRUCTURE: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

• Powers of government are vested in the Board;

• Nine members elected by district, plus a Chairman at large;

• New Board elected in November 2011, took office January 2012.

VISION ELEMENTSTo protect and enrich the quality of life for the people, neighborhoods and diverse communities of Fairfax County by:

• Maintaining Safe and Caring Communities;

• Building Livable Spaces;

• Connecting People and Places;

VISION ELEMENTS

• Maintaining Healthy Economies;

• Practicing Environmental Stewardship;

• Creating a Culture of Engagement;

• Exercising Corporate Stewardship.

STRUCTURE: COUNTY EXECUTIVE• Appointed by the Board;• Administrative head of the

county government;• Anthony Griffin

• 23 years of service to the county

• 12 years tenure as county executive

• Retires in April 2012• Search for new county

executive currently underway

SNAPSHOT: FAIRFAX COUNTY

• FY 2012 budget: $6.1 billion

• 395 square miles;

• 252,828 acres;

• Population of 1,081,726;

• 2010 average household size: 2.75.

Sources: US Census Bureau and 2010 Census Summaries; Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, August 2011.

SNAPSHOT• More than 580,000 jobs;

• 143,000 technology jobs are located in the county

• Median household income: $105,241;

• Percentage of people below the poverty level: 5.8%;

• 38.1 % of people speak a language other than English at home.

SNAPSHOT

• Fairfax County…• home to nine Fortune 500 company headquarters;• largest commercial office market in metropolitan

Washington DC area (113 million square feet of office space);

• 58% of persons age 25 and older have a college degree-one of the highest percentages in the U.S.;

• is one of only 39 counties, nationwide, to receive a triple-A bond rating from all three investor services: Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investor Service and Fitch Investors Service

• the only EDA, nationwide, to have six marketing offices worldwide.

Source: Fairfax County Economic Development Authority

IT’S GOOD TO LIVE IN FAIRFAX…• Fairfax County Public Schools;• Libraries with more than 2.6 million items

available for check-out;• Inova Fairfax;• 24,000 total acres of county or regional

public park land;• National Air and Space Museum;• Wolf Trap;• George Mason and Northern Virginia

Community College;• Washington Dulles Airport.

2010 AGE DISTRIBUTION

26.40%

20.20%31.40%

12.20%

9.80%

All Persons2010 Median Age: 37.3 years

Under 20 years20-34 years35-5455-6465 and older

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Decennial Census

RACIAL/ETHNIC ORIGIN

White; 81.30%

Black; 7.70%

Asian/Pacific

Is-lander; 8.50%

Ameri-can

Indian/Alaska Native; 0.20%

Hispanic; 10.50%Other; 0.30%

1990

WhiteBlackAsian/Pacific Is-landerAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeHispanicOther

RACIAL/ETHNIC ORIGIN

White; 62.70%

Black; 9.20%

Asian/Pa-cific Is-

lan-der;

17.60%

Amer-ican In-

dian/Alaska Na-tive; 0.40%

Hispanic; 15.60%

Other; 10.20%

2010

WhiteBlackAsian/Pacific IslanderAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeHispanicOther

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 1990, 2000 and 2010 Decennial Censuses.

EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS• 54.1% of residents commute to a

Fairfax County work location

• 66.8% of females age 16 and older and 80.9% of males age 16 and older participate in the labor force

2010 EMPLOYERS OF COUNTY RESIDENTS • Private for profit (excluding self-

employed in incorporated business): 59.8%

• Federal Government: 14.4%• Self-employed: 9.3%• Private Nonprofit: 8.2%• Local Government: 6.8%• State Government: 1.3%

PARKS

• More than 24,000 acres• Indoor RECenters• Golf Courses• Nature & Visitor Centers• Athletic fields• Off-leash dog parks• Wolf Trap: national park for the

performing arts

POLICE DEPARTMENT• More than 1300 sworn police officers• Accredited by the Virginia Law

Enforcement Professional Standards Commission since 1996

• Offer online crime reporting for some crimes

• Podcasts• Police alerts via email, cell, text• Crime Prevention and

awareness tips

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

• More than 500 sworn deputies• Largest Sheriff’s office in VA• Founded in 1742 as the original law

enforcement agency of the county• Manages the Adult Detention Center

FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT

• Founded in 1949• More than 1200

uniformed staff and 600 volunteers

• Base of VA Task Force One-specialized search and rescue team dispatched to disasters worldwide

MCCONNELL PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS CENTER

• Model of multi agency coordination and cooperation;

• Partnership between Fairfax County and Virginia;

• Enhances effectiveness of public safety response, traffic congestion management, and better manages the response and recovery from major emergencies

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• Enrollment (2010-2011): More than 177,000

• Largest school system in Virginia• Approximately 1 of every 6 residents is

a public school student• 11th largest in the U.S.• 94.5% of graduates attend post-

secondary programs

HOUSING

• Average rent: $1,383

• Total: 396,386• Single family detached: 191,874• Single family attached: 98,874• Multifamily: 105,540

Source: Department of Neighborhood and Community Services

TRANSPORTATION• Trails• Metrobus• Metrorail• VRE• Amtrak

• Fairfax Connector• FASTRAN• Seniors-on-the-Go

(taxicab program for seniors)

• Washington Dulles International Airport

• Virginia Van Pool Assistance

OTHER COUNTY SERVICES

• Animals• Taxes• Social Services• Recycling/Trash• Courts• Consumer Protection• Older Adults• Online Services

KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH YOU

• Phone/Email• Facebook• Twitter• Fairfax County Website• Emergency Blog• Newswire

• (www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news)• Youtube• Flickr• iPhone/iPad and Android App• Podcasts• Channel 16 • Slideshare• Ask Fairfax!• News Feeds

Q & A

Presented byKristina Norvell-Dove

Public Information OfficerFairfax County Office of Public Affairs

Kristina.norvell@fairfaxcounty.gov703-324-3172, TTY: 711