Median apartment rents across Fairfax County showed a mix of increases and declines in 2025.
Median rental rates were higher at the end of the year than at the beginning in Annandale, Herndon and Reston, but they declined in Centreville, Fair Oaks, Fairfax and Tysons, according to data reported Dec. 31 by Apartment List.
Each locale, however, remained well above the national median rental rate.
The December rates for local communities were:
- Annandale: The median rental cost for a one-bedroom unit was $1,951 and for two bedrooms was $2,226, representing an increase of 5.2% from the start of 2025
- Centreville: Median rates were $1,990/$2,312, down 1.5%
- Fair Oaks: Median rates were $2,106/$2,354, down 2.6%
- Fairfax: Median rates were $1,841/$2,107, down 2.3%
- Herndon: Median rates were $1,763/$2,115, up 0.6%
- Reston: Median rents were $2,138/$2,264, up 0.1%
- Tysons: Median rates were $2,312/$2,722, down 0.1%
Tysons remained second only to Arlington among localities in the D.C. metro region for highest costs of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Across the metro area, December’s median apartment-rental cost of $2,519 was down 1.2% from a year ago.
The D.C. region’s 2025 market generally followed cyclical norms. Over the summer, median rents were up compared to the start of the year — in some cases by 4% or more — but then began a gradual but steady descent.
The same was true of the national market, according to Apartment List analysts.
“Earlier this year, it appeared that annual growth was on track to flip positive for the first time since mid-2023,” they said. “However, that rebound stalled out and reversed course during a particularly slow summer.”
Statewide, the median rental rate was up 0.8% since the start of the year.
Nationally, the median rental rate to close out December was $1,356: $1,191 for one-bedroom units, $1,342 for two bedrooms. That median cost was down 0.8% from a year before.
The Apartment List survey also ranks 100 large urban areas by median rents. While Fairfax County isn’t included, Arlington and D.C. are part of the 100.
Arlington had the fifth most expensive rental rates among those urban areas in December, with a median rental price of $2,519 ($2,372 for one-bedroom units, $2,867 for two bedrooms).
The District ranked 14th among the 100, with a median rental price of $2,093 ($2,069 for one bedroom, $2,124 for two).
Four California communities had the highest median overall apartment costs among the 100 urban areas: $3,076 in San Francisco, $3,053 in Irvine, $2,861 in San Jose and $2,720 in Fremont.
The most affordable urban area for the month was Cleveland, where the median rental rate was $1,004.
In Alexandria, the median rental cost for December was $1,974 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,425 for two bedrooms.
