MerrifieldVA
A town of 20,698, settled in 1890.
Why does Merrifield grade so well?
Because it does well by almost any measure. Merrifield earns an A, 36th among Virginia's 249 graded towns. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally, the median household earns $136K, and few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $661K for a typical one and 5.2 times the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. 76% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Merrifield, above both the Virginia town median (44%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). On hazard risk, just 21 of Virginia’s 372 towns do better.
What makes Merrifield stand out
Where Merrifield beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Merrifield | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5% | 11.1% |
Merrifield has grown 35% from 2010 to 2020
15,212 counted in 2010 and 20,488 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Merrifield grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Merrifield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
White House and 246 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Merrifield. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw11 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw9 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw10 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw12 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw10 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearPhoto credits
White House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Moving to Merrifield: who provides what
Merrifield is unincorporated, so Fairfax County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Merrifield.
Merrifield is among the three healthiest towns in Virginia, draws workers from Arlington and beyond and is mostly renters.
Merrifield stands out in Virginia and nationally: a smaller share of its adults have high blood pressure
It ranks #3 of the 253 Virginia towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Virginia is tooth loss: 5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.1% statewide.
On the CDC’s 32 measures, Merrifield is ahead of Virginia on 23 and behind on 2. 8.8% of adults worry about having enough food in Merrifield. Only 7 of the 253 Virginia towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Merrifield.
| Merrifield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 34% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.3% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Merrifield | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 2.8% | 6.2% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 67.4% | 76.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Merrifield’s public schools outperform 74% of Virginia districts
Two of the 4 schools are below, and why each made the list. Public schools: the Fairfax County Public Schools. 2 public schools serve Merrifield, with 1,557 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 991 | B− |
| Palm Tree School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 108 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents commute out of Merrifield
21,332 jobs are based in Merrifield, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 34.6% of workers work from home, against 18.3% across Virginia.
Most people who work leave Merrifield to do it: just 5% work in town. Employers in Merrifield added 4,704 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 21,332. Merrifield: 35% of workers work from home. The top destinations are Washington (14%), Tysons (11%) and Arlington (10%).
| Merrifield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 35% | 17% | 11% |
| Median household income | $136,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest natural risk in Merrifield is inland flooding, at a very low overall level
Three fifths of Merrifield’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 12%. On expected storm and flood damage, Merrifield sits below 94% of U.S. communities. The town has had 3 paid flood insurance claims since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Merrifield has four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 87° in July, and January nights bottom out around 26°; snowfall runs to about 6 inches a winter. Expect chilly winters and warm summers in Merrifield.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.5% of the land in Merrifield is protected from building
Trails run 0.6 miles in 7 parks and preserves. The trail network density in Merrifield is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Merrifield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Towers Park | — | 16 |
| 2. Armistead Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Hideaway Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A home in Merrifield sells for about $660K at the median
The median property tax bill is $6,725, against $2,790 across Virginia, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Homes sold in Merrifield spent a median 28 days on the market. The town’s typical rent comes in at $2,368 a month. The share of households in Merrifield who live in a home they own: 39%.
| Merrifield | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 39% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,368 a month | $1,760 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Merrifield
Colleges nearby
32 within 15 miles of the center of Merrifield
About 8 of every 100 Merrifield residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
Every workday, about 20,821 people come to Merrifield for work
Where Merrifield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Merrifield
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Merrifield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,488 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 361 ft
- ZIP code
- 22081, 22082, 22116
Merrifield’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Merrifield.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrifield | #36 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Oakton | #18 | A+ | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Dunn Loring | #29 | A | C− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Idylwood | #41 | A | D | — | B+ | A+ |
| Woodburn | #87 | A− | D− | — | B+ | A+ |
| Mantua | #11 | A+ | C | — | B+ | A+ |
| West Falls Church | #84 | A− | D | — | B+ | A− |
| Fairfax | #164 | B | D | C− | — | A |
Merrifield, Oakton, Dunn Loring, Idylwood, Woodburn, Mantua and West Falls Church report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Merrifield with a neighbor →
Questions about Merrifield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Merrifield, VA a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Merrifield grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #36 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Merrifield, VA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $661,000, 60% above the Virginia typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.