Community Corner

Fairfax Named One Of Top U.S. Counties To Live In

Fairfax County is a top place to live in the U.S, according to a ranking similar to one the United Nations uses.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA—A new ranking by 24/7 Wall Street determined Fairfax County is the sixth best county to live in around the U.S., at least based on the quality of life.

24/7 Wall Street came up with the results implementing the same factors as the United Nations' Human Development Index used to rank nations—educational attainment, poverty rate, and life expectancy. Fairfax County does well for a county with over 1 million people. It has a 6.4 percent population increase over five years, 3 percent unemployment rate, 6 percent poverty rate and 83.7 year life expectancy at birth.

The data used in the study are 2012-2016 averages from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2014 life expectancy estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and November 2017 unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Independent cities were eligible for the ranking too.

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The analysis found some of the highest ranked counties came from major metropolitan areas where many residents have high-paying jobs. With an abundance of high-paying jobs in government and other industries, it's not surprising seven of the 25 best counties to live in hail from the DC metropolitan area. Other counties and independent cities ranked in the top 25 include Falls Church City, Arlington County, Loudoun County, Fairfax City and Alexandria City.

Here's the full list:

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1. Falls Church City, Virginia

2. Pitkin County, Colorado

3. Arlington County, Virginia

4. Los Alamos County, New Mexico

5. Douglas County, Colorado

6. Fairfax County, Virginia

7. Howard County, Maryland

8. Loudoun County, Virginia

9. Marin County, California

10. Fairfax City, Virginia

11. Summit County, Colorado

12. Williamson County, Tennessee

13. Teton County, Wyoming

14. Hamilton County, Indiana

15. Eagle County, Colorado

16. Alexandria City, Virginia

17. Montgomery County, Maryland

18. Somerset County, New Jersey

19. Morris County, New Jersey

20. Ouray County, Colorado

21. Ouray County, Colorado

22. Hunterdon County, New Jersey

23. Johnson County, Kansas

24. Delaware County, Ohio

25. Carver County, Minnesota

See the full study as published in USA Today.

Image of apartments near Fairfax County Government Center by Patch editor Emily Leayman


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