Commercial Real Estate Market in Fairfax, VA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: October 31
276 active listings and 2,884 off-market properties in Fairfax, VA. Commercial property asks $336/SF to buy and $22.50/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Fairfax, VA spans 70.8 square miles in Fairfax County, Virginia. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 October 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Fairfax, VA runs 20.2% across the South region in 2025, up from 14.4% in 2019.
Retail
Retail vacancy in Fairfax, VA runs 5.4% across the South region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Fairfax, VA runs 7.9% across the South region in 2025, up from 6% in 2019. Nearly 2.3x the 2022 low of 3.5%.
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Fairfax, VA runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 67.3%
- Commercial 15.2%
- Planned_development 10%
- Industrial 6.1%
- Civic 1.2%
- Mixed use 0.1%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Fairfax, VA zones 3,485 acres across 16 districts. Commercial zoning covers 15.2% of zoned land, residential 67.3% and industrial 6.1%. The largest single district is Residential Medium at 26.1%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 21.3% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
The RM, Residential Medium District is established to provide areas for single-family detached residences with a minimum lot area of 7,500 square feet.
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Fairfax, VA has 225,976 residents in 81,287 households. Density runs 3,190 people per square mile. Median household income here is $150,899 and median gross rent $2,352 a month.
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $22.50/SF/Yr lease vs $336/SF buy → buying wins if held > 3.6 years.
At a 6.7% gross asking yield the payback reads short relative to leasing. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Median Asking Price, $/SF | Median Asking Rent, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington | $436 | $42.00 |
| Alexandria | $357 | $29.00 |
Commercial property in Fairfax, VA asks $336/SF. The 2 bordering markets run from $357/SF in Alexandria to $436/SF in Arlington, and the city sits below their $397/SF median.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median price per square foot for commercial property in Fairfax?
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Fairfax?
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Fairfax?
How does Fairfax compare to nearby markets on price?
What zoning applies to commercial property in Fairfax?
Where does Realmo's Fairfax market data come from?
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and medians
- There are 136 active for-sale and 140 active for-lease listings in Fairfax, VA. The medians are based on 88 of the for-sale and 28 of the for-lease listings, those that state a price or rent per square foot. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a figure resting on fewer than 10 listings says so where it is quoted.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 3,485 zoned acres across 16 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 October 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at South region level, retail vacancy is reported at South region level and industrial vacancy is reported at South region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 October 2026 · How Realmo checks market page data · Report a data issue
