About one in 14 people in Falls Church city, Virginia, has a disability
In Falls Church city, 7.2% of people reported a disability (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is lower than in 99% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 95% of U.S. counties.
What drives Falls Church city's score
In Falls Church city, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 41.8. Income and the safety net is the lowest part, at 5.0. About one in 26 children (3.9%, 2024) lives below the poverty line, a lower share than in 95% of U.S. counties.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Falls Church city isn't among the worst-off quarter of U.S. counties on any measure.
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Falls Church city ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 41.8 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorHUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income18.1% · fiscal year 202722nd percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent19.9% · 2020 to 202460th percentile
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- 24.3 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working14.0% · 2020 to 202412th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average3.7% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202636th percentile
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- 13.6 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector8.6% · August 20255th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people74.9 · 202522nd percentile
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- 12.6 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind3.7% · August 202527th percentile
- People with a credit card behind1.4% · August 20255th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score6.2% · Q4 20255th percentile
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- 5.0 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line3.9% · 20245th percentile
- People with a disability7.2% · 2020 to 20245th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$161,600 · 20245th percentile
- People below the poverty line4.6% · 20245th percentile
- People without health insurance1.7% · 2020 to 20245th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
How Falls Church city has changed
Unemployment rose from 1.6% in 1990 to 3.4% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 17,204 | 2024 12,423 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 1.6% | 2025 3.4% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 3.1% | 2024 4.6% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1993 $55,126 | 2024 $161,600 |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Falls Church city's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 14,658, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
1875
Gained township status within Fairfax County in 1875; incorporated as city in 1948. Wikipedia
1983
Tornado: $2.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2000
Lightning: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1972
16 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Falls Church city, 2 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Falls Church city beside its neighbors
Of the two counties that border Falls Church city, one scores higher.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County, VA | 6 | 6.0% | — |
| Falls Church city, VA | 4 | 4.6% | — |
| Arlington County, VA | 4 | 8.0% | 5.5% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Falls Church city the poorest county in Virginia?
No, Falls Church city's poverty rate was 4.6% in 2024, 131st highest of 133 in Virginia (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Radford city, at 27.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Falls Church city ranks 129th of 133 in the state.
Falls Church city in photographs
Places in Falls Church city from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Retail/residential court off Broad Street (Route 7), Falls Church, Virginia.
WMATA Silver Line Train / Wiehle-Reston East between East Falls Church and West Falls Church in VA on Monday night, 2 May 2016 by Elvert Barnes Photography People Reading Electronic Devices Project.
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Falls Church city, Virginia: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Falls Church city, Virginia?
4.6% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in 22 people. Among children it was 3.9%.
Is Falls Church city the poorest county in Virginia?
No, Falls Church city's poverty rate was 4.6% in 2024, 131st highest of 133 in Virginia (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Radford city, at 27.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Falls Church city ranks 129th of 133 in the state.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Falls Church city
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Legal Aid Justice Center
Legal aid
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Virginia Poverty Law Center
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,313 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Falls Church city · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.