Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao · CC BY-SA 4.0Households in George Mason earn more than those in 95% of U.S. towns
George Mason grades A− for jobs and income and A+ for walkability. 5.8% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.9% across Virginia. For a town this walkable, transit is thin: about 3.7 trips an hour at the evening peak near the typical resident, next to 56.3 in Arlington.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
George Mason and work: the main findings
George Mason is where the jobs are
George Mason has 7,498 jobs, 2.5 for every working resident. On a workday afternoon about 14,000 people are in town, 45% more than the 9,900 who live here. Day and night ↓
Nearly all the work in George Mason is services
97% of the jobs based here are in services, such as health care, schools and offices. Only 0% are in factories, building or farms. The jobs ↓
George Mason draws workers from far and wide
The 7,498 jobs in George Mason are filled from a wide area. The ten biggest home towns of its workers supply 29%; the other 69% come from many towns beyond those. The commute map ↓
Home offices are common in George Mason
30% of George Mason workers work from home, against 18% across Virginia. Time on the road ↓
The quickest commute around
George Mason’s 24-minute average trip is shorter than in any town next door, where it runs from 27 to 32 minutes. Next door ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey.
How the Jobs & income grade adds up in George Mason
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, George Mason is better than 77% of U.S. towns, #122 of 253 in Virginia. Household income holds George Mason’s grade up ($150,341, U.S. $80,734); unemployment pulls it down (9.5%, U.S. 5.2%). It also does well on the poverty rate and job access by car.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, George Mason could be anywhere from B+ to A.
Who leaves George Mason for work, and who comes in
On a workday 2,815 residents head out to work, 186 work right here, and 7,312 people come in from elsewhere.
About 14,000 people are in George Mason on a workday afternoon, 45% more than live here.
2.5 jobs for every working resident, so more people commute in than out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
In George Mason, services account for most jobs
7,498 jobs are based in George Mason.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in George Mason, 2013 → 2023: 5,941 → 7,498. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs George Mason’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Commuting in to George Mason: where workers come from
Where George Mason clocks in
10% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
The daily trip from George Mason: about 24 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 7.6 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of George Mason workers work from home, vs 18% across Virginia. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 2,930 commuters (the 30% who work from home are left out). Across Virginia: 83% drive alone, 3% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
How far George Mason’s workers travel
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
In George Mason, walking beats the bus
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, George Mason is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns, #16 of 253 in Virginia. Both inputs place George Mason near the same point nationally.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 4,184 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 73% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 0% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 3.7 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 79% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 4.6% of George Mason households have no vehicle (Virginia 6.1%, U.S. 8.4%). 8% of George Mason’s commuters take a bus or train.
How George Mason ranks: 877th of 2,722 U.S. towns of 7,000 to 13,400
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Peres MO | 9,102 | $224K | 2.0% | 0.5% | 5% | A+ |
| 2 | Beverly Hills MI | 10,449 | $177K | 1.7% | 1.6% | 3% | A+ |
| 3 | Ladue MO | 8,934 | $250K | 1.1% | 1.7% | 5% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 6 | Difficult Run VA | 9,938 | $250K | 1.4% | 1.9% | 3% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 13 | Belmont VA | 9,729 | $243K | 2.1% | 1.1% | 2% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 18 | Long Branch VA | 7,034 | $185K | 1.6% | 2.4% | 2% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 875 | Meridianville AL | 11,150 | $97K | 4.9% | 4.2% | 2% | A− |
| 876 | Bryans Road MD | 9,371 | $118K | 2.8% | 8.5% | 2% | A− |
| 877 | George Mason VA | 9,937 | $150K | 5.8% | 9.5% | 6% | A− |
| 878 | Blair NE | 7,997 | $81K | 7.8% | 2.1% | 30% | A− |
| 879 | West Long Branch NJ | 8,625 | $114K | 3.4% | 8.3% | 6% | A− |
| … | |||||||
| 2,722 | Shiprock NM | 7,610 | $36K | 34.6% | 14.9% | 14% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of George Mason, the top three, the last and three more from Virginia.
Work in the towns next to George Mason
The biggest share goes to Fairfax (4%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | George Mason workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason | – | A− | A+ | 24 min | $150,341 |
| Fairfax | 4% | A | A+ | 28 min | $132,348 |
| Braddock | under 3% | A+ | A− | 29 min | $211,689 |
| Kings Park West | under 3% | A+ | A | 32 min | $170,039 |
| Long Branch | under 3% | A+ | B+ | 27 min | $185,208 |
| Fair Oaks | 4% | A− | A | 27 min | $123,947 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of George Mason’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in George Mason: questions
What is the median household income in George Mason?
$150,341 (±$21,889) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $93,170 across Virginia and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in George Mason?
5.8%, against 9.9% across Virginia and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from George Mason?
24 minutes each way on average, against 27 across Virginia and 26 nationally. 30% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in George Mason work?
6% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Washington (10%, 16 mi), Springfield (6%, 7 mi), Arlington (6%, 11 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is George Mason walkable?
George Mason is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns (Walkability A+): an EPA walkability index of 11.6 out of 20, and 33% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around George Mason without a car?
8% of commuters take transit and 5% of households have no car. 0% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from George Mason, from the people who make the trip.
More of George Mason
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.