Fairfax Rents Fall, Apartment Market Reverses Trend
Where Fairfax Rents Fell Most Rent-slide patterns across Fairfax County showed the sharpest year-over-year drop in Fair Oaks, where median asking rents fell 3% in February 2026. This placed Fair Oaks ahead of Fairfax City at 2.5%, Tysons at 2.2%, Herndon at 1.5%, and Reston at 0.7%. Six of seven surveyed Fairfax communities posted annual declines, underscoring broad downward pressure across the county. Nationally, the median monthly rent was $1,357 in February, reflecting a 1.5% decline from a year earlier. Regional Signals Alexandria recorded a 2.8% decrease, while Arlington declined 1.7%, showing the softening extended across Northern Virginia. Centreville stood apart with a 1.5% increase, making it the exception in Fairfax. These shifts likely reflected changing commuter patterns, seasonal normalization, and renter sensitivity to school ratings in competitive submarkets. Similar housing-market adjustments in other metros have coincided with rising active listings and slower turnov...