Homelessness In Fairfax County Increases, With Children The Biggest Cohort

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA – The number of people experiencing homelessness in Fairfax County increased again in 2026, continuing an upward trend that has held for nearly a decade, according to a report released Tuesday.

According to the county’s annual point-in-time homelessness count, there were 1,365 people experiencing homelessness on February 4, the night it was conducted. This represents a modest increase of 3 percent from the 2025 count of 1,322 people. Last year’s increase was 4 percent, according to the county.

Homelessness in the county has increased by 32 percent since 2019, according to a parallel report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Some populations have seen a more dramatic increase. The number of adults experiencing chronic homelessness increased by 64 people, a 24 percent jump. The number of veterans grew by 5, a 19 percent jump. The number of transition-aged youth, defined as people aged 18 to 24, increased by 18 people or 36 percent.

In more positive trends, the number of people in families with children experiencing homelessness decreased by 8 percent or 54 people and the number of households experiencing homelessness while fleeing domestic violence decreased by 13 percent or 10 households. However, the number of households reporting a history of domestic violence during the count increased by 18 percent or 35 households.

Black residents of Fairfax County continue to be overrepresented in the count, making up 48 percent of the individuals recorded but only 11.1 percent of the county’s population.

The largest age cohort of homeless people were children under 18 at 28 percent of the total count. Twenty-five percent of those counted were employed.

The point-in-time count includes people in emergency shelters, in transitional housing, in some other kind of safe haven and unsheltered people. Over the past 10 years, the number of people in emergency shelters has increased steadily, while the number of people in transitional housing has fallen. The number of unsheltered people captured by the count has varied, and is right now at its lowest in a downward trend that began in 2023.

The point-in-time count is not the total picture of homelessness in the county, however. According to the Fairfax County government, for the fiscal year ending in September, there were 3,572 people in shelters, not including people in dedicated domestic violence shelters. Fairfax County Public Schools report that a total of 1,342 students had been identified as homeless over the school year as of April 7, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Fairfax County’s increase in homelessness was among the smallest of the areas included in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments assessment. The count covers the city of Alexandria; Arlington County; Washington, DC; Loudoun County; Prince William County, Prince George’s County; Montgomery County; and Fairfax County.

Across the region, Montgomery County saw a 26 percent overall drop in homelessness, while Prince George’s County saw a 29 percent jump.

According to the Metropolitan Council of Governments, “The high cost of living in the metropolitan Washington region directly influences the prevalence and persistence of homelessness. Research demonstrates a strong correlation between elevated living costs, particularly housing affordability, and increased homelessness rates.”

Housing costs have far outpaced wage growth, the report points out. “As housing consumes an increasingly disproportionate share of household income, families and individuals face greater risk of housing instability, eviction, and ultimately homelessness.”

Fairfax County recently assessed rental and homeownership options in the county and drew grim conclusions about the current availability and cost of housing.