Fair Oaks, VA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Fair Oaks, VA

Is Fair Oaks, VA safe?

Fair Oaks earns an overall crime grade of C, which places it in a moderate safety tier — neither among Virginia's safest suburbs nor its most concerning. To put that in context, a C grade means crime rates are roughly average when measured against comparable U.S. communities of similar size and density. Fair Oaks has a population of about 34,466 spread across a density of 2,665 residents per square mile, which is dense enough that property crimes — the most common category in the area — have more opportunity to occur near retail corridors and apartment clusters. That said, the community's 5.4% poverty rate and 3.6% unemployment rate are both well below national averages, two socioeconomic indicators that correlate strongly with lower violent crime. Most residents report feeling safe day-to-day, particularly in quieter residential pockets away from the Fair Oaks Mall corridor.

What is the crime rate in Fair Oaks, VA?

Fair Oaks holds a composite crime grade of C for 2026, reflecting a mixed but not alarming safety picture. Property crime is the dominant driver of that grade — incidents like vehicle break-ins and retail theft near high-traffic shopping areas pull the overall score down from what would otherwise be a stronger rating. Violent crime, by contrast, remains a relatively small share of total incidents and is concentrated in a narrow set of locations rather than spread evenly across the community. Fairfax County's Fair Oaks District Police publishes precinct-level data that lets residents drill into specific crime categories. Compared to the broader Northern Virginia region, Fair Oaks sits in the middle of the pack — safer than many urban-adjacent ZIP codes but not quite reaching the A or B grades earned by some of the county's lower-density communities.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Fair Oaks?

Within Fair Oaks and its immediate surroundings, safety levels vary noticeably by neighborhood type. Established single-family subdivisions such as Fair Oaks Ranch and Kings Park tend to show lower incident rates, benefiting from active homeowner associations, good street lighting, and stable long-term residency — all factors that suppress opportunistic crime. Areas closer to the Fair Oaks Mall and major commercial strips along Route 50 see a higher concentration of property crimes, particularly vehicle theft and larceny, simply because of foot traffic volume and parking infrastructure. The nearby Oakton corridor, which borders Fair Oaks to the west, generally posts stronger safety metrics due to its lower density and higher median incomes. If you are evaluating specific blocks, the interactive crime map on this page lets you filter by crime type and time period so you can compare sub-neighborhoods directly rather than relying on broad averages.

Is Fair Oaks a good place to live?

By most measurable indicators, yes. Fair Oaks combines a median household income of $112,281 — roughly double the U.S. median — with a median home value of $469,390 and a median rent of $1,945, signaling a community that attracts economically stable households. The 3.6% unemployment rate and 5.4% poverty rate both sit well below national benchmarks, which matters for long-term neighborhood quality because economic distress is one of the strongest predictors of rising crime over time. The overall crime grade of C is the one metric that tempers an otherwise strong profile — but for many buyers and renters, a C-grade suburb with top-tier schools, proximity to Dulles and Washington D.C., and a median income above $112,000 represents an acceptable trade-off. Families who prioritize walkable parks, retail access, and commuter convenience consistently rank Fair Oaks among Fairfax County's more livable communities, even accounting for its moderate crime rating.

How does Fair Oaks compare to other Fairfax County communities on crime?

Fair Oaks' C crime grade places it in the middle tier of Fairfax County communities when ranked by safety. Lower-density areas in the county's outer suburbs — where population density drops well below Fair Oaks' 2,665 per square mile — typically earn higher grades because fewer people and cars in a given area means fewer targets for property crime. Denser, transit-adjacent communities closer to the Beltway tend to score similarly or lower. What distinguishes Fair Oaks is the concentration of commercial activity: the Fair Oaks Mall and surrounding retail generate significant daily visitor traffic, which inflates property crime counts relative to purely residential neighborhoods of the same population. Residents of Kings Park and Fair Oaks Ranch who rarely visit the commercial corridor may experience a day-to-day safety environment that feels more like a B-grade neighborhood, even though the aggregate data pulls the community's overall grade to a C.