Northern Virginia Guide › Fairfax County › Clifton
Clifton, Virginia
Horse country, five-acre zoning, and a historic town of 243 people at its center.
At a glance
Six numbers that describe Clifton.
The median single-family home with a Clifton address sold for $1,100,000 in 2026 and went under contract in six days, and the median house had 3,705 square feet.
A "Clifton, VA" mailing address covers far more than the Town of Clifton. The town is a small historic railroad town with 243 residents at the 2020 census; zip 20124 reaches out to estate roads, horse farms and planned communities such as Little Rocky Run on the Centreville side. This page covers the whole postal city: what a house or townhouse costs, how buyers pay, what it rents for, which high school it feeds, and the commute. Every number is from Bright MLS closed sales, pulled on October 2, 2026, not from a listing site's estimate.
All sales are in zip 20124, County = Fairfax. Single-family means a detached house with at least three bedrooms and two full baths; townhouse means end-of-row and interior-row homes; condominium-regime homes are left out of both. Source: Bright MLS, closed sales January 1 to October 2, 2026, Postal City = Clifton, County = Fairfax, pulled by Ahmed Makkiyah on October 2, 2026.
Prices
$1.1 million for a Clifton house, and $630,000 for a townhouse.
Clifton's median house costs less than Fairfax Station's ($1,245,000) and about the same as Reston's ($1,120,000), and it is big: 3,705 square feet at the median, at $381 a foot, close to Centreville's $379.
Houses. 86 sold, from $677,000 to $2,650,000, a small number for a zip this size because so much of the land is in large lots. The median sold-to-list was exactly 100%, 45% sold above asking, and 55% went under contract within a week, a little calmer than Centreville (54% over asking) or Burke (63%).
Townhouses. Only 17 sold, at a median of $630,000, the same as Springfield's townhouse median and less than Reston's ($676,500). They went fast, in a median of five days, and 10 of the 17 sold above asking. Seventeen sales is a small sample, so treat these numbers as a rough guide.
The spread. Acreage pulls the per-foot price down: the lowest price per square foot in the search was $185. The average house sold for $1,203,202, above the median, because the top sales, up to $2,650,000, pull it up.
Median single-family sale price, 20262
Bright MLS closed sales, 2026 year to date, except the Fairfax County row (September 2026 alone). The town rows are filtered to 3+ bedrooms and 2+ full baths and leave out condominium-regime homes; the Fairfax County row has no size filter. Fairfax, Alexandria and Falls Church mean the Fairfax County addresses, not the independent cities, and Chantilly means its Fairfax County side. Arlington County, the neighbor to the east, is one row for the whole county (pulled October 3, same filters). The Cities of Fairfax, Falls Church and Alexandria are independent cities next to the county, shown under their own names. Oak Hill (20 sales) and Dunn Loring (12) are too small to chart.
| Measure | Houses | Townhouses |
|---|---|---|
| Homes sold | 86 | 17 |
| Median sold price | $1,100,000 | $630,000 |
| Average sold price | $1,203,202 | $623,941 |
| Median price per square foot | $381 | $441 |
| Median days to contract | 6 | 5 |
| Median sold-to-list | 100.0% | 101.0% |
| Sold above asking | 39 (45.3%) | 10 (58.8%) |
| Under contract within 7 days | 54.7% | 52.9% |
| Lowest sale | $677,000 | $515,000 |
| Highest sale | $2,650,000 | $807,000 |
| Cash sales | 13 (15.1%) | 3 (17.6%) |
Two ends of the market. One house sold for $1,260,614 on a $1,025,000 list price, 123% of asking after a bidding war. Two others sold for about 81% to 82% of list: $1,300,000 on a VA loan against $1,599,000 after 149 days, and $1,150,000 cash against $1,399,000. Priced right, a Clifton house sells in a week; priced high, it sits.
What can you afford in Clifton? Start from the monthly payment you can live with, not the price. On a $1.1 million house the county tax alone is about $1,060 a month, and a rural lot can bring well, septic and long-driveway costs; the calculator adds the tax and dues for you.
Follow the money
13 of 86 Clifton house buyers paid cash, and 12 used a VA loan.
Cash buyers spent $17.1 million of the $103.5 million in Clifton house sales, 16.5% of the dollars, and their median house cost $1,180,000 against $1,098,000 for financed buyers.
Share of house sales paid in cash, by price range
Cash shows up at both ends: one in five of the least expensive houses and one in five above $1.3 million, but only 1 of the 21 between $958,000 and $1.1 million. Overall, 15.1% of Clifton houses sold for cash, more than Fairfax Station (12.0%) or Centreville (9.3%).
How 86 Clifton house purchases were paid for
One Clifton house buyer in seven used a VA loan, 12 of 86. The other 8 were 5 FHA loans, 1 private loan, 1 other and 1 buyer who paid cash on top of an assumed VA loan.
What that means if you need a loan: you are competing with cash on the cheaper houses and the estates, and less in the middle of the market. More than half of houses went under contract within a week, so the offer that wins is a full pre-approval, a short inspection window and an appraisal plan, since a rural house with acreage can be harder to appraise.
Townhouses: 12 conventional, 3 cash, 1 FHA and 1 VA of 17. Mixed cash-and-loan deals were counted as financed.
The interesting facts
A 243-person town, a much bigger zip code, and one house per five acres.
Four things in the 2026 numbers and the map that set Clifton apart.
The town and the postal city are not the same. The Town of Clifton, incorporated in 1902, is one of three towns in Fairfax County. Most homes with a Clifton address are outside its limits, in unincorporated Fairfax County, from Little Rocky Run near Centreville to the estate roads around the town.
Why the lots are big. In 1982 the Board of Supervisors downzoned more than 41,000 acres of the Occoquan watershed, which drains to a drinking-water reservoir, from about one house per acre to one per five acres, and a court upheld it in 1985. That is why so much of the land around Clifton is estates and horse property, and why so few houses come up for sale.
Small samples. Only 17 townhouses sold and only 21 homes were rented in 2026, so their medians can move a lot with a few deals. The townhouses are the entry point: $630,000, five days to contract, 10 of 17 over asking.
Rent or buy
A Clifton house rents for $4,850 a month, a price-to-rent ratio of 18.9.
A Clifton house sells for $1,100,000 and rents for $4,850 a month, a ratio of 18.9; a townhome sells for $630,000 and rents for $2,950, a ratio of 17.8.1
| Measure | Houses | Townhomes |
|---|---|---|
| Homes rented | 12 | 9 |
| Median monthly rent | $4,850 | $2,950 |
| Average monthly rent | $5,038 | $2,822 |
| Gross rental yield | 5.3% | 5.6% |
| Rent range | $4,100 to $6,500 | $2,400 to $3,000 |
Gross yield is before the mortgage, tax, HOA, insurance and upkeep. Clifton's house rent is higher than Vienna's ($4,800) or Fairfax Station's ($4,600), and its ratio of 18.9 is well below Fairfax Station's 22.6, so a Clifton house earns more rent for what it costs. With 12 house leases and 9 townhome leases, and some 2-bedroom units in the townhome group, treat these as a rough guide. For a family staying five years or more, buying usually wins here; renting first is a fair way to learn whether rural roads and a longer drive suit you.
Own in Clifton already? 45% of houses sold above asking this year, and the overpriced ones sat for months. Ahmed runs a real comparative analysis against the 103 sales on this page, matched for acreage and size, not a website estimate.
The houses
Estate homes on wooded lots, the historic town, and Little Rocky Run.
Clifton has three kinds of housing: large houses on big lots across the watershed, a few dozen older homes in the historic town, and planned-community houses and townhouses near Centreville.
Estate subdivisions. Plantation Hills, known for wooded, spacious homesites, Clifton Hunt, Balmoral Greens, Hayden Village and the Ponds of Clifton are among the 20124 subdivisions. This is where the median 3,705-square-foot house comes from.
The Town of Clifton. The Clifton Historic District has been on the National Register since 1985: 62 contributing buildings, mostly from 1880 to 1910, including 53 houses, three churches and the Main Street shops. Exterior changes in town go through the town's architectural review.
Little Rocky Run. A 950-acre planned community with 2,722 homes, 1,653 single-family and 1,069 townhomes, built from the late 1980s, with pools and trails. Many of its homes carry Clifton 20124 addresses even though it sits on the Centreville side; it is also covered on the Centreville page.
What to check. On a rural lot, whether the house is on a well and septic system, and inspect both; the survey, easements and any horse-keeping rules; the internet provider at that exact address; and the HOA resale package in a planned community.
Schools
Clifton addresses feed Centreville High or Robinson Secondary.
Clifton is Fairfax County Public Schools. Depending on the street, a Clifton address goes to Liberty Middle and Centreville High, or to Robinson Secondary for grades 7 to 12.3
A
Centreville High School
On Union Mill Road with a Clifton address. Niche #11 in Fairfax County, US News #59 in Virginia.
A-
Robinson Secondary School
Grades 7 to 12 on Sideburn Road in Fairfax, with the International Baccalaureate. Niche #13 in the county, US News #21 in Virginia.
7-8
Liberty Middle School
The middle school for the Centreville High side of Clifton. Robinson-side students stay on one campus from grade 7.
Change
Boundaries
The Skyview High plan moves 77 Centreville High students to Westfield in 2027-28. The January 2026 countywide review did not change Robinson's boundary.
Masjid
Centreville Islamic Center
On Ordway Road in Centreville, a Dar Al-Hijrah project, with Friday prayer at the Fiesta Event Center and a weekend school.
Masjid
ICNVT and Dar Al-Noor
The Islamic Center of Northern Virginia on Shirley Gate Road in Fairfax, and Dar Al-Noor on Hoadly Road in Manassas.
Halal
Khan Supermarket and Wow Fresh Meat
Both on Centreville Square, with halal meat and South Asian and Middle Eastern groceries.
Halal
H Mart
The Centreville store on Braddock Road and the Fairfax store on Fairfax Boulevard both have a halal meat section.
A listing's school claim is not a guarantee, and in a zip this large the high school can change from one road to the next. Check any address at the FCPS Boundary Locator, and ask Ahmed to confirm it before you offer.
Commute
Clifton Road to I-66 or the Fairfax County Parkway, and VRE from Burke Centre.
Clifton has no Metro station, and from the town and the estate roads most drives start on two-lane country roads to Route 29, I-66 or the Fairfax County Parkway, and the VRE's Burke Centre station is the nearest train.
| To | Drive | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown DC | 55 to 90 min | I-66 east, Express Lanes if you carpool |
| Pentagon | 50 to 75 min | I-66 to the Beltway and I-395, or VRE to Crystal City |
| Tysons | 35 to 50 min | I-66 to the Beltway or Route 123 |
| Reston Town Center | 30 to 45 min | Fairfax County Parkway north |
| Dulles Airport | 25 to 35 min | Route 28 north |
The railroad that built Clifton still runs through town, but VRE Manassas Line trains do not stop there. Burke Centre station has 1,516 free parking spaces and trains to Crystal City, L'Enfant and Union Station, about 51 to 57 minutes to Union Station, weekday rush hours only.5 The I-66 Express Lanes are free for carpools of three with an E-ZPass Flex, and a new I-66 slug-line network started in September 2026 from the Monument Drive lot in Fair Oaks. Ahmed will do the 7:45 drive with you before you offer.
Daily life
Hemlock Overlook, a winery on Bull Run, and a Main Street from the 1880s.
Outdoors and sights. Hemlock Overlook Regional Park is about 400 acres of woods along Bull Run, with a 3.3-mile loop past the ruins of an early hydroelectric dam. Next door, Paradise Springs Winery opened in 2010 as Fairfax County's first winery. Bull Run Regional Park (1,568 acres) and Burke Lake Park are each a short drive. In town, a red caboose marks the site of Clifton Station, the Civil War siding that became the town.
Food and groceries. The Main Street Pub and Clifton General Store has fed the town for more than 75 years. For groceries and halal meat, most families drive to Centreville Square, H Mart on Braddock Road, or Fairfax.
Taxes.4 Fairfax County's 2026 rate is $1.12 per $100 plus about $0.0335 in county fees, about $1.15 all in, roughly $12,700 a year on a $1,100,000 house. The Town of Clifton levies no real estate tax as of its 2026-27 budget, so a house inside town limits pays the same county rate as the rest of 20124; the town levies a business license tax on firms in town instead. The car tax is $4.57 per $100.
Where to eat
"Ahmed, where do you go to eat?" The Clifton list.
Clifton has a pub and a winery, not a restaurant row, so these are picks within about fifteen minutes in Centreville, the City of Fairfax, Burke and Manassas, the one doing best at the top, and halal marked.7
Closed, so not listed: Food Corner Kabob House on Centreville Square shows as closed on Yelp since May 2026, and Khan's Halal in Burke since August 2026. In the Town of Clifton itself, the Main Street Pub and Clifton General Store and Paradise Springs Winery are the local stops; they are not ranked here. Rankings weigh current Yelp ratings by review count, critics' lists and whether the place is busy; the halal note comes from Zabihah, Yelp or the restaurant itself, and "ask about halal" means it could not be confirmed. Know one that belongs here? Tell Ahmed.
Who buys here
Families who want land, military buyers on VA loans, and townhouse first-timers.
Families who want a big house on a big lot within reach of Fairfax and I-66; horse owners and gardeners; military and veteran families, 12 of the 86 house buyers used a VA loan; and first-time buyers who want a Clifton address in a townhouse.
Buyers choose Clifton over Fairfax Station for about $145,000 less at the median house, and over Centreville for more land and a quieter road, at about $195,000 more. They give up a Metro stop and a short drive to the store. If you are weighing Clifton against a closer-in suburb, decide on the commute and the high school first; the acreage follows.
Questions
What people ask about Clifton.
How much does a house cost in Clifton, Virginia in 2026?
The median single-family home (3+ bedrooms, 2+ full baths) with a Clifton, VA 20124 address sold for $1,100,000 in 2026 through October 2, across 86 sales in Bright MLS, at $381 per square foot. The median house had 3,705 square feet. Only 17 townhouses sold, at a median of $630,000. Condominium-regime homes are not included.
How competitive is the Clifton housing market?
Competitive when the price is right. In 2026, 45% of Clifton houses sold above asking, 55% went under contract within a week, and the median house took 6 days. Overpriced listings sat: two houses sold for about 81% to 82% of their list price, one after 149 days.
Do Clifton buyers pay cash or use VA loans?
In 2026, 13 of 86 house buyers paid cash (15.1%) and 12 used a VA loan; 53 used a conventional loan. Cash buyers spent $17.1 million, 16.5% of all dollars, and cash was most common below $958,000 and above $1.3 million.
What is rent in Clifton, Virginia?
In 2026 the median single-family house leased for $4,850 a month, from 12 leases ranging from $4,100 to $6,500. The median townhome leased for $2,950, from 9 leases. Both samples are small, so treat them as a rough guide.
Is it better to rent or buy in Clifton?
A Clifton house sells for about 18.9 times its yearly rent ($1,100,000 against $58,200) and a townhouse for 17.8 times, lower than Fairfax Station's 22.6. That makes buying relatively good value for a family staying five years or more, while renting first lets you test the rural roads and the drive.
Which high schools serve Clifton, VA?
Depending on the street, a Clifton address goes to Liberty Middle and Centreville High (Niche A, #11 in Fairfax County, US News #59 in Virginia) or to Robinson Secondary for grades 7 to 12 (Niche A-, US News #21 in Virginia, IB). Check any address at the FCPS Boundary Locator before you offer.
How long is the commute from Clifton to DC?
At 8 am on a weekday, downtown DC is about 55 to 90 minutes by car from the Town of Clifton on I-66, the Pentagon 50 to 75, Tysons 35 to 50, Reston Town Center 30 to 45 and Dulles Airport 25 to 35; Little Rocky Run is about 10 minutes closer. There is no Metro; the nearest train is VRE's Burke Centre station. These drive times are estimates.
What is the property tax in Clifton, Virginia?
Fairfax County's 2026 rate is $1.12 per $100 plus about $0.0335 in county fees, roughly $12,700 a year on a $1,100,000 house. The Town of Clifton levies no real estate tax as of its 2026-27 budget, so homes inside town limits pay the same county rate. The car tax is $4.57 per $100.
Ask Ahmed
Your Trusted Realtor in NOVA.
Tell me what you are looking for in Clifton.
Looking for acreage, a first townhouse, or selling an estate home where the right price sold in a week and the wrong one sat for months. Send the situation and get the numbers back, in English or Arabic, not a pitch.
REALTOR®, Douglas Realty of Virginia · VA License #0225242357
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Ahmed's take
Two or three sentences in Ahmed's own voice go here: who Ahmed sees buying in Clifton, how Ahmed helps a family weigh acreage against the commute, and the first thing Ahmed checks on a listing (the high school, and the well and septic on a rural lot).
دليل شمال فرجينيا
السكن في كليفتون، فرجينيا.
كليفتون منطقة ريفية في مقاطعة فيرفاكس، فيها أراضٍ كبيرة وخيول، وفي وسطها بلدة تاريخية صغيرة يبلغ عدد سكانها 243 نسمة. بلغ السعر الوسطي للبيت المستقل 1,100,000 دولار، وللتاون هاوس 630,000.
عنوان كليفتون البريدي (الرمز 20124) أوسع بكثير من بلدة كليفتون نفسها. فمنذ عام 1982 لا يُسمح في معظم الأراضي المحيطة بالبلدة إلا ببيت واحد لكل خمسة فدادين، لحماية مياه الشرب في حوض أوكوكوان، ولهذا السبب البيوت كبيرة والمعروض قليل: تبلغ مساحة البيت الوسطي 3,705 أقدام مربعة. وبلغت المدة الوسطية حتى توقيع العقد ستة أيام، وبيعت 45% من البيوت بأكثر من السعر المطلوب. المدارس: سنترفيل هاي أو روبنسن سكندري حسب الشارع. وأقرب مسجد هو مركز سنترفيل الإسلامي على شارع أوردوي، واللحم الحلال في سنترفيل سكوير. وتبلغ ضريبة المقاطعة نحو 12,700 دولار سنوياً على بيت بقيمة مليون ومئة ألف، ولا تفرض بلدة كليفتون ضريبة عقار. جميع الأرقام من Bright MLS، مبيعات مغلقة من 1 يناير إلى 2 أكتوبر 2026.
قبل أن تقدّم عرضاً، تأكد من المدرسة الثانوية للعنوان بالتحديد، وإذا كان البيت يعتمد على بئر وخزان الصرف (السبتك) فافحصهما. هل تريد أرضاً وبيتاً كبيراً لكنك تحتار بشأن مسافة التنقل؟ أرسل لي تفاصيل وضعك، وسأحسب معك أرقامك الحقيقية، بالعربية أو بالإنجليزية.
وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.
Fairfax Station
Houses only, big lots.
$1.245M
Median house, 2026
Centreville
More townhouses than houses.
$904.5K
Median house, 2026
Buying power
Start from the payment.
Tax, insurance and HOA included
Home valuation
Priced on evidence.
A real comparative analysis, not a website estimate
Fairfax County
Fifty-one years of prices.
$950K
Median house, September 2026
بالعربية
Every step, in Arabic.
بالعربية أو بالإنجليزية، كما تفضّل