Population

Lorton

21,961

Merrifield

20,549

Median Income

Lorton

$136,719

Merrifield

$136,173

Home Value

Lorton

$583,900

Merrifield

$637,600

Rent

Lorton

$2,537

Merrifield

$2,308

Crime Rate

Lorton

N/A

Merrifield

N/A

Cost of Living

Lorton

208.1

Merrifield

216.5

Avg Temp

Lorton

N/A

Merrifield

N/A

Unemployment

Lorton

5.1%

Merrifield

2.2%

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How Similar Are Lorton & Merrifield?

Merrifield is Lorton's #21 most similar city

5/8

5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Lorton

21,961

vs

Merrifield

20,549

Match · 6% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Lorton at 21,961 and Merrifield at 20,549.

Political Leaning

Lorton

31.1%

vs

Merrifield

31.1%

Match · 0% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 0% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Lorton

5.1%

vs

Merrifield

2.2%

Different · 56% difference

Lorton's unemployment is significantly higher than Merrifield's — 56% difference.

Median Income

Lorton

$136,719

vs

Merrifield

$136,173

Match · 0% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 0% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Lorton

$583,900

vs

Merrifield

$637,600

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.

Education

Lorton

35.7%

vs

Merrifield

57.5%

Different · 38% difference
🎓

Merrifield has a 38% higher education than Lorton.

Demographics

🌍

Lorton

30.4%

vs

Merrifield

41.4%

Different · 27% difference

Merrifield has a 27% higher demographics than Lorton.

Cost of Living

Lorton

208.1

vs

Merrifield

216.5

Match · 4% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 4% difference.

5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Lorton and Merrifield share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Lorton

vsof 8

0

Merrifield

Merrifield leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Lorton leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Lorton scores 149.3 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 208.2 in Merrifield. Lorton scores 208.1 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 216.5 in Merrifield. Lorton has a living wage (1 adult) of $91,583 vs $95,259 in Merrifield.

Overall Cost Index

Lorton208.1
Merrifield216.5

Housing Index

Lorton285.4
Merrifield284.8

Food Index

Lorton154.5
Merrifield154.1

Transportation Index

Lorton149.3
Merrifield208.2

Healthcare Index

Lorton143.6
Merrifield143.3

Utilities Index

Lorton169.8
Merrifield169.4

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Lorton$91,583
Merrifield$95,259

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Lorton$216,470
Merrifield$225,158

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Lorton$2,015
Merrifield$2,015

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Lorton$2,246
Merrifield$2,246

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lorton has a single-family homes of 72.9% compared to 35.9% in Merrifield. Lorton has a owner-occupied of 64.2% compared to 36.2% in Merrifield. Merrifield has a vacancy rate of 4.2% compared to 6.9% in Lorton.

Median Home Value

Lorton$583,900
Merrifield$637,600

Median Rent

Lorton$2,537
Merrifield$2,308

Median Property Tax

Lorton$5,496
Merrifield$6,404

Owner-Occupied

Lorton64.2%
Merrifield36.2%

Vacancy Rate

Lorton6.9%
Merrifield4.2%

Single-Family Homes

Lorton72.9%
Merrifield35.9%

Jobs & Economy — Merrifield leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Merrifield has a unemployment rate of 2.2% compared to 5.1% in Lorton. Merrifield has a poverty rate of 6.5% compared to 9.5% in Lorton. Merrifield has a per capita income of $74,432 vs $51,549 in Lorton (31% higher).

Median Household Income

Lorton$136,719
Merrifield$136,173

Per Capita Income

Lorton$51,549
Merrifield$74,432

Poverty Rate

Lorton9.5%
Merrifield6.5%

Unemployment Rate

Lorton5.1%
Merrifield2.2%

Labor Force

Lorton11,853
Merrifield14,297

Mean Commute

Lorton24 min
MerrifieldN/A

Work from Home

Lorton22.3%
Merrifield29.5%

Private Sector

Lorton76.1%
Merrifield89.7%

Government Sector

Lorton30.5%
Merrifield41.6%

Crime & Safety

Source: FBI UCR

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Murder Rate (per 1K)

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Assault Rate (per 1K)

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Violent Crime Clearance

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Property Crime Clearance

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Avg Annual High

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Avg Annual Low

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Sunny Days per Year

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Annual Rainfall

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Annual Snowfall

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Avg Humidity

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Schools & Education — Merrifield leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Merrifield has a bachelor's degree or higher of 57.5% compared to 35.7% in Lorton. Merrifield has a high school diploma or higher of 63.4% compared to 45.1% in Lorton.

Public Schools

Lorton0
Merrifield0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

LortonN/A
MerrifieldN/A

Colleges & Universities

Lorton0
Merrifield0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Lorton35.7%
Merrifield57.5%

High School Diploma or Higher

Lorton45.1%
Merrifield63.4%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lorton has a population of 21,961, about 1.1x the size of Merrifield (20,549). Merrifield skews younger with a median age of 34.4 vs 36.9.

Population

Lorton21,961
Merrifield20,549

Median Age

Lorton37
Merrifield34

Avg Household Size

Lorton3.2
Merrifield2.2

Married Population

Lorton45.3%
Merrifield45.0%

Foreign Born

Lorton32.1%
Merrifield44.0%

White

Lorton30.4%
Merrifield41.4%

Black

Lorton30.5%
Merrifield8.8%

Hispanic

Lorton16.3%
Merrifield13.7%

Asian

Lorton18.7%
Merrifield32.1%

Lorton

Merrifield

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Lorton: 5 vs Merrifield: 2 for with emergency services. Merrifield: 5.0 vs Lorton: 3.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Lorton5
Merrifield5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Lorton3.8
Merrifield5.0

With Emergency Services

Lorton5
Merrifield2

Transportation & Commute — Merrifield leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Merrifield has a bicycle of 0.4% compared to 0.0% in Lorton. Merrifield has a public transit of 9.8% compared to 5.3% in Lorton. Merrifield has a work from home of 29.5% compared to 22.3% in Lorton.

Mean Commute Time

Lorton24 min
MerrifieldN/A

Drive Alone

Lorton57.9%
Merrifield47.1%

Public Transit

Lorton5.3%
Merrifield9.8%

Bicycle

Lorton0.0%
Merrifield0.4%

Work from Home

Lorton22.3%
Merrifield29.5%

Airports

Lorton0
Merrifield0

Cities Similar to Lorton, VA

Compare Lorton against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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