The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) provided my office with valuable economic information to offer a window into specific demographics and consumer behavior in the 44th District that I hope you will find useful and interesting as well.
NVAR represents over 322 Realtors living in the 44th district and more than 12,000 Realtors across Northern Virginia.
The median household income in the 44th is $83,571, and the median age is 36.8. The largest percentage demographic of my constituents are relatively affluent, living in what NVAR calls the “suburban periphery,” which are established, wealthy, well-educated and well-traveled married couples in the suburbs who endure longer commutes. This accounts for just under 20 percent of 44th District residents. To put this in context, only 1.7 percent of Americans nationwide share this market segment.
The second most common market segment is what NVAR calls the “city lights” segment. They represent 12.2 percent of 44th District households and live a more “urban” lifestyle, living in multi-family units, renting and owning homes in equal proportion. They are married, have a college degree, take public transit, and make about $60,000.
This wide-ranging demographic of residents mirror their passion for social welfare and equal opportunity. Households range from single persons to married couples with and without children. The neighborhoods they live in are racially and ethnically diverse. They commute, but work hard and budget well to support their urban lifestyles, laying the foundation for stable financial futures.
The 44th district’s unemployment rate is about 3 percent, which is lower than Virginia (3.8 percent) and the United States as a whole (4.8 percent). Public administration is the top employment industry, followed closely by professional, scientific and technical careers. Health care is also a significant employer in the area, which makes sense as INOVA is the largest employer in the county.
The median home value is just under $500,000 and prices rose 4 percent over the last month, compared with Virginia’s average of 2.7 percent. However, that trails the 9.5 percent rise in the U.S. average.
This local economic area report identified a number of industries that consumers have to leave the area to find because we do not have enough to meet their needs. The largest sectors are nightlife, shopping, and other entertainment industries. This just goes to show why Route 1 revitalization will be a huge boon to our area, as it would attract those high quality stores and industries to our area.