The Town FilesGreat Falls, Virginia
Community in Fairfax County · population 15,953 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,411,000
- Household income
- $250,001
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 19 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 19
- Median age
- 45.7
Great Falls is a community of 15,953 people in Fairfax County, Virginia. The median home is worth $1,411,000, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). It ranks better for families than 100% of Virginia towns, more upscale than 100% of Virginia towns, better for retirees than 95% of Virginia towns.
How Great Falls ranks
Percentile among Virginia towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Virginia towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Great Falls is worth $1,411,000, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 8% of Virginia towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 95.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Great Falls | Typical Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,411,000 | $298,050 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,254 |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $78,595 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 95.0% | 69.2% |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1980 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.4% | — |
Who lives in Great Falls
| People | Great Falls | Typical Virginia town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.7 | 39.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.1% | 17.3% |
| Under 18 | 26.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 85.3% | 31.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.2% | 8.8% |
| Veterans | 7.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 23.0% | — |
| Work from home | 44.2% | 12.8% |
| Average commute | 33.5 min | 26.3 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.8% | 91.8% |
Weather in Great Falls
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 23.4°F. About 43.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.5 inches of snow (typical Virginia town: 13.4 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 99 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Great Falls since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Virginia town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on September 5, 1979 about 1.9 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 11 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 5, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 104 times; the largest was 5.00 inches on July 2, 1968.
Severe weather in Fairfax County since 1996
Fairfax County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3631: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 2, 2020 | Biological | DR-4512: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3448: Covid-19 |
| September 11, 2018 | Hurricane | EM-3403: Hurricane Florence |
| March 7, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4262: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
Jobs and pay in Fairfax County
Fairfax County had 636,430 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $114,100 a year. Unemployment was 2.5% in 2023; in Great Falls itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.
Public schools in Great Falls
2 public schools with 1,097 students, about 15.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forestville Elementary | PK-6 | 580 | 15.3 |
| Great Falls Elementary | PK-6 | 517 | 14.8 |
Towns near Great Falls
- Sugarland Run, VA3.7 mi · 12,345 people · home $576,700
- Lowes Island, VA3.8 mi · 11,023 people · home $793,200
- Dranesville, VA3.8 mi · 11,785 people · home $744,500
- Travilah, MD4.3 mi · 11,985 people · home $1,325,100
- Reston, VA4.9 mi · 63,226 people · home $642,000
- Cascades, VA5.2 mi · 12,366 people · home $671,100
- Wolf Trap, VA5.3 mi · 16,496 people · home $1,204,000
- Darnestown, MD5.3 mi · 6,723 people · home $958,200
Great Falls questions
Is Great Falls, Virginia a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Great Falls scores better for retirees than 95% of Virginia towns and quieter than 61%. 18.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.7).
How much does a house cost in Great Falls?
The median owner-occupied home in Great Falls is valued at $1,411,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Great Falls?
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 23.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.6 inches of precipitation a year and 18.5 inches of snow.
Does Great Falls get tornadoes?
19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Great Falls since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on September 5, 1979. The typical Virginia town has had 11.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)