Stafford County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Stafford County, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 89% of counties in Virginia
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A
Income Above averageWealthier than 95% of counties in Virginia
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 88% of counties in Virginia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Stafford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 163,446 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 583.4 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.99% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 52,316 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Stafford County grew by 35.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 163,446 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Stafford County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.0% of residents. That is 1.7 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 37,667 23.0% +1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 37,594 23.0% +0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 35,476 21.7% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 18,438 11.3% -5.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Virginia, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.5% of the people living in Stafford County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 50.5% Virginia 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Stafford County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Stafford County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Stafford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $138,122 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.41% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Stafford County is about 48% higher than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Stafford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $394,409 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,020 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.5% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Stafford County is about 16.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,020 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Stafford County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 261 hours, about 10.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Stafford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.3 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.7 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 261 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,098 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.0% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 16,154 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,182 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Stafford County is 31 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Stafford County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Stafford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.1% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.05 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Stafford County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Stafford County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.4% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.8% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Stafford County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Stafford County, VA is typical in size for this group, 163,446 residents against a local median of 146,526, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Stafford County, VA apart most is median home price: $394,409, 20% above the local median of $328,342.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $138,122 against a local median of $115,859, 19% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 19% above the local median it puts Stafford County, VA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $128,431 on median home price, so Stafford County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Stafford County, VA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford County, VA | 163,446 | $138,122 #1/4 | $394,409 #2/4 | 31.3 min #3/4 |
| Prince William County, VA | 488,843 | $131,919 | $455,810 | 33.5 min |
| Spotsylvania County, VA | 146,526 | $112,930 | $327,379 | 31.0 min |
| King George County, VA | 27,895 | $115,859 | $328,342 | 31.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Stafford County, Virginia.
How many people live in Stafford County, Virginia?
About 163,446 people live in Stafford County, Virginia, in 52,316 households of 3.1 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Stafford County, Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Stafford County, Virginia has 583 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Stafford County, Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($394,409 against $138,122), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $2,020 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Stafford County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Stafford County, Virginia is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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