The Town Files

Idylwood, Virginia

Community in Fairfax County · population 17,954 (2020 Census)

Map: where Idylwood is in VirginiaIdylwood
Median home
$756,900
Household income
$120,109
Jan low / Jul high
23° / 84°
Snow a year
19 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
26
Median age
37.2

Idylwood is a community of 17,954 people in Fairfax County, Virginia. The median home is worth $756,900, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). It ranks better transit than 99% of Virginia towns, more walkable than 96% of Virginia towns, better for young professionals than 94% of Virginia towns.

How Idylwood ranks

Percentile among Virginia towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Virginia towns.

Idylwood lifestyle rankings vs other Virginia townsRetirement23rd pctFamilies43rd pctQuiet3rd pctWalkability96th pctFirst-time buyers55th pctYoung professionals94th pctVibrancy83rd pctHip & trendy91st pctCollege town92nd pctUpscale81st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling82nd pctTransit99th pctDriving9th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Idylwood is worth $756,900, above the typical Virginia town ($298,050). Homes cost about 6.3 times the median household income of $120,109, which is more affordable than 3% of Virginia towns. Median rent is $2,045 a month. 55.2% of households own their home.

Idylwood vs Fairfax County vs typical Virginia townIdylwoodFairfax CountyTypical Virginia townHome value$756,900$732,800$298,050Household income$120,109$153,637$78,595Monthly rent$2,045$2,276$1,254
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Virginia towns with 500+ people.
HousingIdylwoodTypical Virginia town
Median home value$756,900$298,050
Median rent$2,045$1,254
Median household income$120,109$78,595
Home value ÷ income6.3×3.8×
Homeownership55.2%69.2%
Median year built19751980
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Idylwood

PeopleIdylwoodTypical Virginia town
Median age37.239.8
Age 65 and over11.9%17.3%
Under 1823.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher63.1%31.2%
Below the poverty line5.5%8.8%
Veterans4.7%—
Born outside the U.S.38.4%—
Work from home27.0%12.8%
Average commute24.9 min26.3 min
Homes with broadband92.5%91.8%

Weather in Idylwood

July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 23.4°F. About 43.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.5 inches of snow (typical Virginia town: 13.4 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 99 nights at or below freezing.

Idylwood monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing42°23°Jan45°24°Feb53°32°Mar65°41°Apr72°52°May80°61°Jun84°67°Jul82°65°Aug76°57°Sep65°45°Oct56°35°Nov46°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.36.52.67.53.82.03.44.34.14.33.54.23.53.10.13.42.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Vienna station (4.6 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Idylwood since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Virginia town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on September 5, 1979 about 1.3 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 44 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 31, 2022.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Idylwood by decade21950s11960s31970s21980s31990s52000s72010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 118 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on August 11, 2004.

Severe weather in Fairfax County since 1996

Storm events in Fairfax County since 1996 by typeHail145Heat50Flood292Dense Fog70High Wind19Heavy Rain21Flash Flood238Strong Wind24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Fairfax County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 12 deaths recorded.

Fairfax County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 23, 2026Winter StormEM-3631: Severe Winter Storm
April 2, 2020BiologicalDR-4512: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3448: Covid-19
September 11, 2018HurricaneEM-3403: Hurricane Florence
March 7, 2016SnowstormDR-4262: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm

Jobs and pay in Fairfax County

Fairfax County had 636,430 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $114,100 a year. Unemployment was 2.5% in 2023; in Idylwood itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.

Largest industries in Fairfax CountyProfessional & technical serv…158,868 jobs · $166,553Health care & social assistan…72,266 jobs · $80,261Retail48,953 jobs · $50,278Administrative & support45,826 jobs · $93,929Hotels & restaurants44,130 jobs · $34,579Finance & insurance25,572 jobs · $173,276
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Fairfax County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023Fairfax 2.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Idylwood

Idylwood questions

Is Idylwood, Virginia a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Idylwood scores better for retirees than 23% of Virginia towns and quieter than 3%. 11.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.2).

How much does a house cost in Idylwood?

The median owner-occupied home in Idylwood is valued at $756,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $120,109, so homes cost about 6.3 times income. Median rent is $2,045 a month.

What is the weather like in Idylwood?

July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 23.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.6 inches of precipitation a year and 18.5 inches of snow.

Does Idylwood get tornadoes?

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Idylwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on September 5, 1979. The typical Virginia town has had 11.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Idylwood's Census boundary (GEOID 5139448). Comparisons use the median of Virginia towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.