The Town Files

McNair, Virginia

Community in Fairfax County · population 21,598 (2020 Census)

Map: where McNair is in VirginiaMcNair
Median home
$595,800
Household income
$122,778
Jan low / Jul high
25° / 88°
Snow a year
21 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
19
Median age
31.9

McNair is a community of 21,598 people in Fairfax County, Virginia. The median home is worth $595,800, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). It ranks better for young professionals than 99% of Virginia towns, better transit than 98% of Virginia towns, more walkable than 97% of Virginia towns.

McNair in our rankings:

How McNair 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.

McNair lifestyle rankings vs other Virginia townsRetirement3rd pctFamilies11th pctQuiet1st pctWalkability97th pctFirst-time buyers57th pctYoung professionals99th pctVibrancy96th pctHip & trendy87th pctCollege town80th pctUpscale82nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling81st pctTransit98th pctDriving11th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in McNair is worth $595,800, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). Homes cost about 4.9 times the median household income of $122,778, which is more affordable than 17% of Virginia towns. Median rent is $2,287 a month. 25.4% of households own their home.

McNair vs Fairfax County vs typical Virginia townMcNairFairfax CountyTypical Virginia townHome value$595,800$732,800$298,050Household income$122,778$153,637$78,595Monthly rent$2,287$2,276$1,254
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Virginia towns with 500+ people.
HousingMcNairTypical Virginia town
Median home value$595,800$298,050
Median rent$2,287$1,254
Median household income$122,778$78,595
Home value ÷ income4.9×3.8×
Homeownership25.4%69.2%
Median year built20031980
Seasonal / vacation homes0.2%—

Who lives in McNair

PeopleMcNairTypical Virginia town
Median age31.939.8
Age 65 and over6.0%17.3%
Under 1820.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher68.8%31.2%
Below the poverty line6.1%8.8%
Veterans3.9%—
Born outside the U.S.43.8%—
Work from home30.8%12.8%
Average commute25.0 min26.3 min
Homes with broadband95.3%91.8%

Weather in McNair

July highs average 87.6°F and January lows 25.2°F. About 43.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 21.0 inches of snow (typical Virginia town: 13.4 in). Expect about 33 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 102 nights at or below freezing.

McNair monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing43°25°Jan46°27°Feb55°34°Mar67°43°Apr75°53°May83°62°Jun88°67°Jul86°65°Aug79°58°Sep68°45°Oct57°36°Nov47°29°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.96.92.67.03.53.93.50.14.74.34.23.53.93.63.10.33.32.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Washington Dc Dulles Ap station (2.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of McNair since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Virginia town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on September 5, 1979 about 8.4 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 8 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 31, 2022.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of McNair by decade01950s01960s11970s41980s51990s22000s62010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 124 times; the largest was 5.00 inches on July 2, 1968.

Severe weather in Fairfax County since 1996

Storm events in Fairfax County since 1996 by typeHail145Heat50Flood292Dense Fog70High Wind19Heavy Rain21Flash Flood238Strong Wind24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Fairfax County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 12 deaths recorded.

Fairfax County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 23, 2026Winter StormEM-3631: Severe Winter Storm
April 2, 2020BiologicalDR-4512: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3448: Covid-19
September 11, 2018HurricaneEM-3403: Hurricane Florence
March 7, 2016SnowstormDR-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 McNair itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.

Largest industries in Fairfax CountyProfessional & technical serv…158,868 jobs · $166,553Health care & social assistan…72,266 jobs · $80,261Retail48,953 jobs · $50,278Administrative & support45,826 jobs · $93,929Hotels & restaurants44,130 jobs · $34,579Finance & insurance25,572 jobs · $173,276
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Fairfax County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023Fairfax 2.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near McNair

McNair questions

Is McNair, Virginia a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, McNair scores better for retirees than 3% of Virginia towns and quieter than 1%. 6.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.9).

How much does a house cost in McNair?

The median owner-occupied home in McNair is valued at $595,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $122,778, so homes cost about 4.9 times income. Median rent is $2,287 a month.

What is the weather like in McNair?

July highs average 87.6°F and January lows 25.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.2 inches of precipitation a year and 21.0 inches of snow.

Does McNair get tornadoes?

19 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of McNair since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on September 5, 1979. The typical Virginia town has had 11.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to McNair's Census boundary (GEOID 5148450). Comparisons use the median of Virginia towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.