Jobs, pay and daily life in Dale City, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Dale City is a city in Virginia with 71,016 residents. The median household earns $111,994 a year and the median rent is $1,876 a month, which is 20.1% of the median household income. It is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, where BLS counts 3,136,190 jobs.
How Dale City compares. Among the 100 largest places in Virginia, Dale City is #14 by population, #96 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #21 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #73 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Prince William County, is #23 of 133 counties for average pay ($64,447).
Dale City has 71,016 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.8% of the population of Virginia. It covers 14 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 4,990 people per square mile. The median age is 35.2, 10% younger than the state median (35.2 against 39.0). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $1,876 a month (rent plus utilities), 19% above the state median ($1,876 against $1,579). Over a year that is 20.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $425,500, which is 3.8 times the median household income ($111,994); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 79.3% of households own their home, 18% above the state average (79.3% against 67.3%).
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area has 3,136,190 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $71,060 a year, 39% above the national median ($71,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are business and financial operations (369,190 jobs, median $105,260); management (319,760 jobs, median $165,010); office and administrative support (290,050 jobs, median $53,250). The area is most specialised in legal (2.6 times) and computer and mathematical (2.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are legal ($175,070) and management ($165,010). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Prince William County was 3.5%. 69.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Prince William County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 69.2% drive alone, 2.3% use public transit, 0.6% walk, 14.2% work from home. 38.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 118% above the state average (38.4% against 17.6%).
33.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20% below the state share (33.5% against 42.2%). 32.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 149% above the state share (32.7% against 13.1%). The poverty rate is 7.0%, 30% below the state rate (7.0% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (25.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 33°F (0.5°C). About 1,126 mm (44 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (120 mm) and Jan the driest (65 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Montclair (2 miles, rent 26% higher); Lake Ridge (3 miles, rent 8% higher); Leesylvania (4 miles, rent 22% higher); Woodbridge (5 miles, rent 12% higher). Rent differences are against Dale City; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Virginia (1,133) →State guide: VirginiaCountry guidePrince William CountyVirginia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,133 federal postings open in Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Virginia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 112,530 | 1.59 | $156,460 | $67,600 | $291,420 | +48% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 76,600 | 3.49 | $104,770 | $59,010 | $184,020 | +26% |
| Software Developers | 69,060 | 2.03 | $154,930 | $96,450 | $213,660 | +14% |
| Retail Salespersons | 66,920 | 0.85 | $36,610 | $30,640 | $47,800 | +3% |
| Management Analysts | 62,360 | 3.44 | $126,830 | $78,970 | $181,280 | +25% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 60,560 | 0.78 | $34,600 | $30,460 | $42,490 | +11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 59,090 | 1.33 | $37,840 | $31,720 | $48,780 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 50,600 | 0.81 | $35,470 | $30,330 | $44,710 | +8% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 50,450 | 0.58 | $38,530 | $30,670 | $46,080 | +8% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Registered Nurses | 46,830 | 0.69 | $102,710 | $80,750 | $132,900 | +5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 46,160 | 1.01 | $46,040 | $31,880 | $81,060 | +31% |
| Managers, All Other | 42,010 | 3.35 | $170,980 | $128,610 | $221,230 | +20% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 41,470 | 1.42 | $102,140 | $67,530 | $170,980 | +22% |
| Security Guards | 40,950 | 1.58 | $46,830 | $36,530 | $78,790 | +23% |
| Office Clerks, General | 39,410 | 0.79 | $51,880 | $36,230 | $76,240 | +15% |
| Project Management Specialists | 38,230 | 1.78 | $127,030 | $74,110 | $192,450 | +24% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 37,010 | 1.08 | $53,660 | $37,890 | $79,660 | +13% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 36,750 | 0.70 | $46,220 | $35,640 | $73,150 | +3% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 35,340 | 0.62 | $37,870 | $31,280 | $50,050 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | 550 | 0.97 | $246,990 | $45,150 | $377,060 | -12% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 770 | 1.17 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,470 | 0.68 | $225,140 | $125,150 | $329,200 | -8% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,370 | 1.01 | $223,250 | $60,580 | $423,610 | -13% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 5,100 | 2.44 | $209,750 | $94,790 | $358,480 | -10% |
| Physicians, All Other | 10,650 | 1.54 | $208,710 | $77,430 | $402,900 | -22% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 20,800 | 1.54 | $195,190 | $133,100 | $295,960 | +11% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Public Relations Managers | 9,470 | 6.27 | $195,190 | $117,350 | $340,440 | +33% |
| Financial Managers | 26,430 | 1.56 | $185,270 | $122,670 | $327,470 | +11% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5,500 | 1.24 | $185,220 | $138,180 | $259,680 | +8% |
| Dentists, General | 3,040 | 1.21 | $184,540 | $105,610 | $324,370 | +8% |
| Marketing Managers | 8,900 | 1.12 | $181,260 | $106,860 | $296,500 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 6,280 | 1.41 | $177,960 | $111,720 | $282,330 | +19% |
| Sales Managers | 8,780 | 0.68 | $175,820 | $83,560 | $306,700 | +19% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 1,800 | 3.96 | $174,870 | $47,760 | $225,680 | +18% |
| Pediatricians, General | 550 | 0.69 | $172,520 | $79,240 | $354,030 | -18% |
| Purchasing Managers | 4,180 | 2.46 | $172,150 | $132,890 | $217,790 | +16% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 590 | 1.27 | $171,950 | $116,580 | $281,000 | +15% |
| Physicists | 1,520 | 3.69 | $171,580 | $98,950 | $225,680 | -0% |
These figures are for the whole Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $71,060 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 19.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 16.8% |
| Retail trade | 12.0% |
| Public administration | 10.4% |
| Construction | 10.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.7% |
| Other services | 5.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.2% |
| Information | 1.9% |
| Manufacturing | 1.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Dale City lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince William County | 488,880 | n/a | n/a | 143,345 | 10,632 | $64,447 | +2.7% | 3.5% | 258,641 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 20,598 | 18.3% | $38,252 | 1.44 |
| Health care and social assistance | 17,304 | 15.4% | $58,430 | 0.84 |
| Construction | 16,491 | 14.7% | $78,190 | 2.19 |
| Accommodation and food services | 14,145 | 12.6% | $26,124 | 1.09 |
| Professional and technical services | 11,175 | 9.9% | $110,468 | 1.12 |
| Administrative and waste services | 7,529 | 6.7% | $52,502 | 0.89 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4,596 | 4.1% | $48,423 | 1.06 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,362 | 3.0% | $58,824 | 0.55 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,972 | 2.6% | $88,022 | 0.53 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,901 | 2.6% | $27,439 | 1.20 |
| Manufacturing | 2,409 | 2.1% | $75,879 | 0.20 |
| Educational services | 2,344 | 2.1% | $37,971 | 0.79 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,907 | 1.7% | $72,448 | 0.86 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,675 | 1.5% | $88,607 | 0.29 |
| Information | 1,350 | 1.2% | $102,924 | 0.50 |
| Management of companies | 939 | 0.8% | $92,490 | 0.39 |
| Utilities | 478 | 0.4% | $115,193 | 0.88 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 124 | 0.1% | $32,256 | 0.11 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 104 | 0.1% | $97,552 | 0.19 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69.2% |
| Public transit | 2.3% |
| Walk | 0.6% |
| Work from home | 14.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 38.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $111,994 |
| Income per person | $42,331 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,876 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.1% |
| Median home value | $425,500 |
| Homeowners | 79.3% |
| Poverty rate | 7.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 108.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $71,060 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 84.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 33.5% |
| Born abroad | 32.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 69.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.5 | 33 | 65 |
| Feb | 1.8 | 35 | 67 |
| Mar | 6.5 | 44 | 80 |
| Apr | 12.8 | 55 | 94 |
| May | 18.2 | 65 | 120 |
| Jun | 23.3 | 74 | 116 |
| Jul | 25.9 | 79 | 107 |
| Aug | 25.1 | 77 | 103 |
| Sep | 21.1 | 70 | 108 |
| Oct | 14.2 | 58 | 99 |
| Nov | 7.7 | 46 | 80 |
| Dec | 2.8 | 37 | 87 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montclair | VA | 2 mi | 22,387 | $155,774 | $2,366 |
| Lake Ridge | VA | 3 mi | 46,049 | $127,154 | $2,033 |
| Leesylvania | VA | 4 mi | 21,632 | $132,524 | $2,289 |
| Woodbridge | VA | 5 mi | 43,945 | $104,741 | $2,101 |
| Cherry Hill | VA | 7 mi | 26,044 | $122,447 | $1,931 |
| Buckhall | VA | 7 mi | 21,602 | $180,021 | $2,478 |
| Lorton | VA | 8 mi | 20,991 | $138,685 | $2,548 |
| Manassas Park | VA | 10 mi | 16,798 | $103,250 | $2,146 |
| Newington | VA | 10 mi | 13,478 | $155,027 | $2,805 |
| Burke | VA | 10 mi | 44,029 | $185,818 | $2,894 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
71,016 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,876 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.1% of the median household income.
$111,994 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Prince William County (latest month 2026M09)).
Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.