Contact: Alan Fogg, Vice President, Communications, , 703-790-0600 (O) Or 571-213-5065 (M)

Contact: Alan Fogg, Vice President, Communications, [email protected], 703-790-0600 (o) or 571-213-5065 (m) Fairfax County ranks number one for household income level among large U.S. counties Median household income tops $107,000 a year

Fairfax County, Virginia USA, September 24, 2009– Fairfax County has the highest median income among U.S. counties with more than 300,000 residents and the second-highest level for any U.S. county, according to 2008 American Community Survey data published by the Census Bureau.

Fairfax County, which has more than 1 million residents, has a median household income of $107,448, thanks in large measure to the presence of more than 6,100 technology companies that employ more than 130,000 in the county. Nearby Loudoun County, with a population of less than 300,000, has a median household income of $111,925 – the only county to top Fairfax. The U.S. median is $52,029.

In other technology-rich regions, Santa Clara County, California (home to the city of San Jose), has a median household income of $88,846 – the highest in California. In southern California, Orange County and Los Angeles County have median household incomes of $75,078 and $55,499, respectively. Massachusetts’ Middlesex County, which houses the Boston region’s technology sector, has a median income of $78,202.

“Fairfax County's high median family income needs to be considered in the context of comparisons with other major technology markets around the country, such as Boston or northern or southern California,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA, www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org). “Our higher income levels and a cost of living that is equal to or lower than other area make Fairfax County a great value. When one adds in the quality of life here and the strength of the local economy, Fairfax County becomes one of America's premier places to work and live.”

Time magazine called Fairfax County, just outside Washington, D.C., “one of the great economic success stories of our time.” Business growth helps Fairfax County fund public services such as a top-ranked public school system that improve the quality of life. Fairfax County offers a well- educated workforce, diverse real estate opportunities, access to global markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, and a business community based on technology and professional services.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org) promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA offers site location and business development assistance, and connections with county and state government agencies, to help companies locate and expand in Fairfax County. The FCEDA maintains marketing offices in Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, Seoul and Tel Aviv.