'Best Counties to Live In': Fairfax 'City' Ranked No. 8 in U.S.

FAIRFAX, VA — Pat yourselves on your backs, citizens of the City of Fairfax. According to the website 24/7 Wall St., the city is the eighth-best county to live in the United States.

That's right. County. The list doesn't strictly hew toward counties proper. For example, the City of Alexandria is ranked 10th.

For its list, 24/7 Wall St. developed an index based on three social measures — educational attainment, poverty rate, and life expectancy — and ranked counties based on their well-being.

Here was the data for Fairfax:

• 5-yr. population change: +6.1%
• Nov. unemployment rate: 3.0%
• Poverty rate: 7.0%
• Life expectancy at birth: 83.8 years

The article pointed out the typical Fairfax household makes $105,297 a year — more than all but six other U.S. counties.

Photo: 24/7 Wall St.