Visitor economy
Fairfax City
Independent city · Northern Virginia. Visitors spent $125M here in 2025, up 3.2% on 2024 and up 3.7% on 2019.
$125M
Visitor spending, 2025
44 of 133 localities
1,177
Jobs supported
40 of 133
$5.9M
Local taxes from visitors
43 of 133
$46M
Wages paid
$3.9M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $53M, 42.2% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $28M22.8%
- Food and drink
- $53M42.2%
- Retail
- $11M8.6%
- Recreation
- $16M13.1%
- Transport
- $16M13.2%
Lodging includes short-term rentals and second-home spending. Transport covers both ground and air.
Year by year
| Year | Total | Change | Lodging | Food | Retail | Recreation | Transport | Jobs | Local tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $125M | +3.2% | $28M | $53M | $11M | $16M | $16M | 1,177 | $5.9M |
| 2024 | $121M | +1.7% | $28M | $50M | $10M | $16M | $16M | 1,155 | $5.8M |
| 2023 | $119M | +13.7% | $28M | $48M | $10M | $16M | $16M | 1,133 | $5.7M |
| 2022 | $104M | +30.1% | $24M | $42M | $9.2M | $14M | $15M | 1,030 | $5.1M |
| 2021 | $80M | +22.5% | $18M | $34M | $7.3M | $9.9M | $11M | 819 | $4.1M |
| 2020 | $65M | -45.5% | $14M | $28M | $6.5M | $8.2M | $9.4M | 778 | $3.7M |
| 2019 | $120M | +1.0% | $29M | $49M | $11M | $15M | $15M | 1,239 | $5.6M |
| 2018 | $119M | +3.0% | $29M | $48M | $12M | $16M | $15M | 1,289 | $5.5M |
| 2017 | $115M | +0.5% | $27M | $47M | $11M | $16M | $14M | 1,184 | $5.3M |
| 2016 | $115M | — | $27M | $46M | $12M | $16M | $14M | 1,213 | $5.4M |
How that compares
- 0.34% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 0.7% of the Northern Virginia region, which took $16.91B.
- Ranks 44 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 43 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Fairfax City is +3.2%.