With 13.6% of Virginia’s population and 19.8% of the Washington metropolitan area’s, Fairfax County is the most populous municipality in the region.

The county has one of the highest median household incomes in the country, and was the first nationwide to see the typical household make more than $100K a year. In addition to its affluence, Fairfax County’s population is diverse and highly educated. Asians comprise 17.4% of its residents, more than triple the 4.8% national average, while 60% of all residents have bachelor’s degrees and 29.1% have advanced degrees.

The Metro’s Silver Line expansion has provided the infrastructure for large-scale, transit-oriented development, which capitalizes on the committed commuters and foot traffic with new mixed-use projects. This is redefining areas in the county historically dominated by bedroom communities and low-rise buildings.

The accessibility of the Metro is combining with strategic, contemporary design and lower rents to entice people away from D.C. and its pricier suburbs inside the Beltway. New high-rise residential, experiential retail, boutique shops and novel restaurant concepts are being incorporated in master planned mixed-use that are markedly urban in design.

Corporations like that Fairfax is a confluence of low taxes, educated employees and proximity to D.C.-based government agencies and private companies.

Like many Washington submarkets attempting to elevate its profile, Fairfax is heavily investing in its innovation district aspirations and engaging universities like George Mason, whose 33,000 students attend the public university in the county seat of Fairfax, and Virginia Tech to promote research and development.