Mason District has some of the neediest areas in Fairfax County

The 2022 Needs Assessment recently published by Fairfax County confirms that some of the neediest areas are in Bailey’s Crossroads and Annandale.

The current Needs Assessment report documents economic conditions and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The data helps county officials and others respond quickly to emerging community needs. It also suggests strategies for supporting vulnerable families and reducing disparities.

Here are a few highlights:

• There are seven census tracts in Fairfax County that had a median household income below $55,500 in 2020:

4619.02 – Mosby Woods area of Fairfax – $54,625.
4516.01 – Bailey’s Crossroads/Culmore – $51,578.
4215 – Hybla Valley – $51,528.
4216 – Mount Vernon – $50,787.
4154.01 – Woodley Hills, Alexandria – $49,333.
4523.01 – Americana Drive area of Annandale – $43,357.
4514 – Seven Corners north of Arlington Boulevard – $42,907.

• Costs for transportation, food, healthcare, housing, tuition, and childcare all saw steep increases between 2021 and 2022.

• The top five census tracts that rank the highest on food insecurity index are:

4516.01 – Bailey’s Crossroads/Culmore,
4216 – Mount Vernon,
4525.02 – Lincolnia south of Little River Turnpike,
4619.02 – Mosby Woods, Fairfax.
4215 – Hybla Valley.

• 11,553 families (4.1 percent) are at 100 percent of the federal poverty level, and 20,047 are at the 150 percent level (7.1 percent). A maximum annual income of $55,500, or 200 percent of the federal poverty level for a family of four, is a common eligibility requirement for benefit programs.

• Depending on the type of provider and the age of the child, annual costs for a preschool-age child at a childcare center in Fairfax County can range from $16,120 to $22,100. For infants, its $19,760 to $25,220 per year.

• About 7,900 Fairfax County families with children have an annual income below $25,000.

• The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area saw housing-related costs increase 5.4 percent from May 2021 to May 2022 and 23.5 percent over 10 years.

• Between 2010 and 2020, the number of owner-occupied units in Fairfax County decreased by less than 1 percent (1,020 units) while the number of renter-occupied units increased by 16.7 percent (over 17,900 units).

• Renters earning between $50,000 and $74,999 saw an increase of 2.8 percentage points and renters earning $75,000 or more saw an increase of 3.2 percentage points.

• While the proportion of Fairfax County homeowners who are cost burdened has steadily decreased over time, the proportion of cost-burdened renters continues to rise. Cost burden occurs when 30 percent or more of household income is spent on housing.

• The following census tracts have the highest housing cost burden:

4516.01 – Bailey’s Crossroads/Culmore – owners and renters (the median household income is $51,578).
4514 – Seven Corners north of Arlington Boulevard – renters ($42,907).
4523.01 – Annandale east of Americana Drive – owners and renters ($43,357).
4216 – Mount Vernon – owners and renters ($50,787).
4154.01 – Woodley Hills, Alexandria – renters ($49,333).

• One year after the onset of the pandemic, there were 3.1 percent, or 20,024, fewer persons employed in Fairfax County.

• From 2019 to 2020, more than 30,500 (4.9 percent) workers lost their jobs in Fairfax County.

• White households earn 63 percent more than Hispanic and Latino households ($140,817 versus $86,409 annually).

• Comparing pre-pandemic monthly wages to one year later, the increase in average wages of male workers was nearly 52 percent greater than the increase for female workers ($1,194 vs. $788, respectively).

• In one year following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, average monthly wages of Asian workers increased the most in terms of both percentage (16.5 percent) and dollars ($1,212).

• In the same period, wage increases hovered around 13 percent for workers of other races, both male and female workers, as well as for workers of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.