Clifton, Virginia Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 312, Clifton's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Clifton is a small community located in Virginia, within Fairfax County. The total population is 312. It ranks as the 530th most populous out of 681 Census-designated places in Virginia.

Age Demographics

The median age in Clifton is 37.3 years. This is 4% lower than the state median of 39.0 years. With 29.5% of the population under 18, Clifton has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Clifton is $232,500. This is 150% higher than the state median of $93,170. It is also 188% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Clifton. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 0.6%. This is 85% lower than the state rate of 4.3%. The median home value is $1,050,000. Housing costs are 174% higher than the state median of $383,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.5x. 97.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 45% higher than the state average of 67.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Clifton has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 97.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.0%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (97.4% vs 58.4%). The Hispanic or Latino population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 11.0%.

Education

80.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Clifton in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 91% higher than the state rate of 42.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 37.2% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Clifton, Virginia is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Virginia state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 681 Census-designated places in Virginia. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.