Despite the fact that Fairfax touts itself as the region’s economic powerhouse, it was Loudoun County that took the top spot for highest household income in the nation, according to census figures released Tuesday.
But the neck-and-neck race between the neighboring counties will only help bring in more high-paying jobs to Northern Virginia, officials said.
“We have to recognize that Loudoun and Fairfax are neighbors, so you have a labor pool that comes from both of those counties,” said Paul Villella, CEO of HireStrategy, a Reston-based professional staffing firm with clients in both counties. “Many people that live in Fairfax work in Loudoun and many people that live in Loudoun work in Fairfax.”
Census figures showed both counties are approaching the $100,000 mark for median household income, with Loudoun coming in at $98,483 and Fairfax at $94,610, making it second in the nation.
Fairfax and Loudoun are home to many large, technology-based companies looking to hire highly educated workers. That, combined with the fact that Northern Virginia has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, has driven up salaries significantly. For example, Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin has about 6,100 employees in Fairfax, and about half are highly skilled scientists and engineers, Lockheed Martin spokesman Tom Jurkowsky said.
“Tomaintain that skilled work force you have to be competitive with respect to your salaries,” Jurkowsky said.
He declined to comment on the company’s specific salaries in Northern Virginia.
Fairfax and Loudoun are expected to drive much of the population growth in the Washington region over the next 25 years, meaning salaries may continue their upward trend. The two counties combined will add 253,000 jobs to the region by 2030, according to figures from the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis.
“Whether we’re fifth or first is irrelevant,” said Jerry Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “If I were an employer, I would regard the high income levels to mean there’s a strong work force here. You’ve attracted a lot of high-quality people and companies are willing to pay those salaries” for that talent pool.
