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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 |
5,013 |
18.9% |
132,337 |
24.6% |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
7,029 |
16.0% |
209,274 |
24.6% |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
5,380 |
12.6% |
147,395 |
18.7% |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C.) area |
3,202 |
12.1% |
63,726 |
15.5% |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
3,777 |
11.5% |
75,152 |
10.3% |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
3,641 |
11.1% |
54,624 |
9.2% |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
1,946 |
11.0% |
33,789 |
11.4% |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
5,448 |
9.0% |
154,166 |
15.7% |
* Published data only (non-disclosure may affect totals).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2004; Virginia Employment
Commission, 2005
Employment Growth
| Metro |
Annual Growth |
| New York |
96,500 |
| Chicago |
58,600 |
| Seattle |
55,000 |
| Atlanta |
51,600 |
| Washington, D.C. |
49,900 |
| Boston |
26,200 |
| San Jose |
22,500 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006
Unemployment Rate
| Area |
Rate |
| Fairfax County, VA |
2.2% |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
2.8% |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
3.5% |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
3.5% |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
4.2% |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
4.2% |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
4.6% |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
5.3% |
Source: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006
Cost of Living
Major U.S. metropolitan areas; U.S. = 100
| |
Composite |
Food |
Housing |
Utilities |
Healthcare |
| Atlanta |
98.2 |
97.2 |
94.9 |
97.5 |
108.8 |
| Chicago |
111.5 |
109.9 |
125.1 |
109.4 |
112.6 |
| Washington, D.C. |
140.3 |
109.8 |
216.7 |
121.3 |
113.5 |
| San Jose |
154.0 |
146.4 |
242.3 |
102.4 |
123.3 |
| New York City |
210.7 |
144.1 |
392.7 |
155.5 |
130.5 |
| Boston |
data not available |
| Seattle |
data not available |
Source: Council for Community and Economic Research, ACCRA
Cost of Living Index, third quarter 2006
Metro Area Housing Comparison
Income
| County (Region) |
Median Family Income |
Median Household Income |
Per Capita Income |
| Fairfax County, VA |
110,107 |
94,610 |
44,829 |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
100,971 |
84,010 |
43,009 |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
98,662 |
82,187 |
41,901 |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
89,716 |
76,810 |
36,978 |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
84,472 |
70,560 |
34,243 |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
83,864 |
69,045 |
36,683 |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
74,255 |
58,370 |
34,213 |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
66,091 |
52,465 |
35,795 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2005
Education
Educational Attainment - Adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher
| County (state) |
Percent |
| Fairfax County, VA |
58.5% |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
56.3% |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
48.6% |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
47.5% |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
47.3% |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
44.6% |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
43.6% |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
42.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey,
2005
Educational Systems
| County (Region) |
Enrollment |
Spending per Pupil ($000) |
| Morris County, NJ (New York City area) |
79,086 |
12.2 |
| Middlesex County, MA (Boston area) |
117,008 |
12.6 |
| Fairfax County, VA |
166,663 |
13.0 |
| Fulton County, GA (Atlanta area) |
75,891 |
14.2 |
| Montgomery County, MD (Washington, D.C. area) |
139,201 |
15.5 |
| DuPage County, IL (Chicago area) |
142,897 |
16.4 |
| King County, WA (Seattle area) |
234,842 |
19.2 |
| Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley area) |
250,795 |
20.8 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2005
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