Possibly moving to Fairfax, VA (apartment, to rent, how much) - Northern Virginia - Virginia - City-Data Forum

Proam · 01-09-2008, 10:54 AM

I am looking at a potential job offer and a possibility of moving to Fairfax, VA. The pay offer is $50K per annum, which is lower than my expectation but the job looks interesting enough. I just wanted to look for suggestions and some answers from people who've lived or are living in fairfax regarding the living expenses. I am not planning to buy a house and from what I have read here I possibly won't be able to afford one anytime soon. I am looking for a 1 bedroom apartment or any other kind of possibility. And also, how are the taxes?
Please suggest.

goldenmom7500 · 01-10-2008, 09:14 PM

Hi,

I guess you mean 'Fairfax' and not Fairfax County as a whole. I would say that a one bedroom would be *at least* $1000/month, and a couple hundred more for the 'luxury' category. The living expenses are considered to be high, but in part everyone just gets drawn into the culture there - places to eat, places to go, places to shop, things to buy ...

I think your salary is OK, but I would always recommend finding a roommate situation. You can pay, say, $700-900 and live in a fantastic place, rather than spending $1000 and living in an OK, but definitely not fantastic place.

Taxes ... which ones? Property taxes are high, but do you mean state taxes or what?

seysoldTD · 01-10-2008, 09:47 PM

Welcome to NOVA...Fairfax and Fairfax County apartment rent is high! But I would agree with the other posting that you can share a 2br and get a better place. About $800 for sharing a 2 br. One important fact is the further you go out west to the suburbs, your rent will be less but sometimes traffic is a potential issue. If you have regular schedule hours 8-6 then traffic will be a problem, if not it might work for you. 15 miles during rush hour can take aroun 30-45.

Hope this helps!

Proam · 01-12-2008, 03:04 PM

Thanks guys that helps!
And yes I meant the state taxes!

normie · 01-12-2008, 05:23 PM

If your job is anywhere near George Mason University, you might be able to find a roommate situation or an inexpensive room to rent through the school. That would be a (relatively) inexpensive way to get your feel for the neighborhood, and decide where you want to live (if you don't like the roommate situation). Try to live near your job, if at all possible.

goldenmom7500 · 01-12-2008, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by normie

If your job is anywhere near George Mason University, you might be able to find a roommate situation or an inexpensive room to rent through the school. That would be a (relatively) inexpensive way to get your feel for the neighborhood, and decide where you want to live (if you don't like the roommate situation). Try to live near your job, if at all possible.

I agree with normie - it's good to live near your job, as long as your job is in a nice place (and Fairfax is definitely nice!).

goldenmom7500 · 01-12-2008, 06:12 PM

I can't answer intelligently about the state taxes, except they are not low, but I don't know if they are high, per se. All taxes always seem high to me - not a poltical thing, just a price thing

elixabeth · 06-21-2009, 11:43 PM

I like Fairfax a lot it is very intellectual and reasonably diverse although it is not overwhelmingly so and most of the immigrants here make as much money as the Americans so there there aren't as many class issues, at least not in Fairfax. Getting a roommate is a good idea and/ or looking around craigslist to see if anyone is renting out a room or basement. There are a lot of people who bought more house then they can afford and are covering their costs by renting out space so many of the houses can be quite large and nice and some of the rent barely covers cost as many are first time landlords. So you might find a deal living under a family in a basement which might have it's own entrance or in a group house with rooms rented out by a landlord. Of course if you really value your privacy getting a one or two bedroom place (with one other person) might be better. It's all up to your preferences. If you prefer urban or suburban the county has both, for more urban areas look for places nearer to metro stops as a rough estimate. There are a million people in the county so it is a fairly large suburb and there are some differences in different parts of the county because of that. This area is basically a hybrid between the nicer parts of a city and a suburb. There are some crappy areas but not that many. Not sure how much taxes are relative to other states but the state tends to redistribute our taxes elsewhere as the rest of the state doesn't pull enough of their own weight. On the other hand we're a southern state so we still have a lot of low tax politics and policies.