Reston, Herndon, Vienna and the City of Fairfax side by side: 2026 tax rates, high school report cards, Zillow values, Census income and commute times.
Last checked Oct. 20, 2026. Sources: the Fairfax County 2026 tax rate and fee table (PDF), the Town of Vienna and City of Fairfax tax and budget pages, the Virginia Department of Education’s School Quality Profiles, FCPS 2026-27 attendance areas, Zillow Research and the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey.
Reston is most often weighed against three nearby places with their own governments: the Town of Herndon, about 3 miles northwest; the Town of Vienna, about 5 miles southeast; and the City of Fairfax, about 7 miles south. They are three different kinds of government. Herndon and Vienna are incorporated towns inside Fairfax County, with their own councils, police and trash service. The City of Fairfax is an independent city that belongs to no county. Reston is none of these: it is unincorporated, and Fairfax County provides its services.
This page sets the official figures side by side. It does not rank them.
What this means for you
- Your address decides your taxes and schools, not your mailing city. Some homes with Herndon or Reston mailing addresses are in neither town; the tax district on the county record is what counts.
- Herndon and Vienna residents pay two real estate taxes, the county’s and the town’s. City of Fairfax residents pay one, to the city.
- Check any address with the tools at the bottom of this page.
Property tax rates
Rates are per $100 of assessed value on a home. Fairfax County’s figures are for tax year 2026; the towns’ and the City of Fairfax’s are for their fiscal year 2027, which began July 1, 2026.
| Reston | Herndon | Vienna | City of Fairfax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County base rate | $1.12 | $1.12 | $1.12 | none |
| Town or city rate | none | $0.27 | $0.19 | $1.0725 |
| County stormwater and pest levies | $0.0335 | $0.0335 | $0.0335 | none |
| Special district levy on homes | $0.047, Reston Community Center | none | none | none |
| Combined residential rate | $1.2005 | $1.4235 | $1.3435 | $1.0725 |
Sources: the county’s 2026 fee table (PDF), which lists the stormwater ($0.0325) and pest ($0.001) levies in every county tax district, the Reston Community Center levy in Hunter Mill District No. 5 and the Town of Herndon’s $0.27 rate in its Town of Herndon district; the Town of Vienna’s real estate tax page, which sets 19 cents for 2026; and the City of Fairfax’s budget page, which sets $1.0725 for fiscal 2027. Not every Reston home is in the community center district; some also pay the Reston Service District’s $0.021. Check the tax district on your assessment, and see our property tax guide.
Fees are billed separately. Fairfax County adds a $630 refuse fee in its trash collection districts, which include parts of Reston, the fee table shows. The City of Fairfax bills a stormwater utility fee, which its budget page says rises about $10.19 a year for a typical home in fiscal 2027.
Tax rates in one chart
Tax relief
Fairfax County runs real estate tax relief for older residents and people with disabilities, with income and asset limits, on the county bill in Reston, Herndon and Vienna. The Town of Vienna has its own relief program for the town bill. The City of Fairfax runs its own program for city residents.
High schools in each place
The high schools zoned for each place, from the FCPS 2026-27 attendance areas in Fairfax County’s GIS laid over the Census Bureau’s boundaries. City of Fairfax students attend Fairfax High, which the city owns and FCPS runs under contract, the city’s facilities directory says. The figures are the accreditation indicators on each school’s School Quality Profiles “at a glance” page, published with the 2025-26 accreditation ratings, the same for every school.
| Place | High school | Share of the place’s land | Accreditation 2025-26 | English (combined rate) | Math pass rate | Science pass rate | Graduation and completion index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reston | South Lakes High | About 79% | Fully Accredited | 96 | 85 | 75 | 96.6 |
| Reston, Herndon | Herndon High | Reston 16%, all of Herndon | Fully Accredited | 95 | 83 | 69 | 89.2 |
| Vienna | Madison High | All of the town | Fully Accredited | 100 | 92 | 87 | 99 |
| City of Fairfax | Fairfax High | All of the city | Fully Accredited | 97 | 82 | 81 | 96 |
Small edges of Reston are zoned for Madison, Westfield and Langley. Shares are of land, not students, and zones change; check any address on the FCPS boundary locator. More in our Reston schools guide.
Home values
From the Zillow Home Value Index city series, all for September 2026. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price.
| Place | Typical value, September 2026 | September 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reston | $622,037 | $619,159 | 0.5% |
| Herndon | $722,139 | $716,266 | 0.8% |
| Vienna | $1,161,512 | $1,131,648 | 2.6% |
| Fairfax | $774,572 | $763,665 | 1.4% |
Zillow files its Fairfax series under Fairfax County, so it may take in Fairfax mailing addresses outside the independent city. More in our home prices guide.
Home values in one chart
Census figures
From the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the same vintage for all four (data profiles DP03, DP04 and DP05). QuickFacts pages: Reston, Herndon, Vienna, City of Fairfax.
| Reston | Herndon | Vienna | City of Fairfax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,414 | 24,672 | 16,412 | 25,026 |
| Median household income | $148,710 | $148,000 | $216,953 | $132,348 |
| Median value, owner-occupied homes | $642,000 | $599,100 | $1,008,800 | $722,600 |
| Share of occupied homes rented | 39.4% | 37.9% | 16.3% | 30.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 26 minutes | 27.5 minutes | 26.3 minutes | 28 minutes |
See our population guide.
City services
| Reston | Herndon | Vienna | City of Fairfax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local government | Fairfax County Board of Supervisors | Herndon Town Council and Fairfax County | Vienna Town Council and Fairfax County | Fairfax City Council |
| Police | Fairfax County Police Department, Reston District Station | Herndon Police Department | Vienna Police Department | City of Fairfax Police Department |
| Fire and EMS | Fairfax County Fire and Rescue | Fairfax County Fire and Rescue | Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, with the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department | City of Fairfax Fire Department |
| Trash | Private hauler, or the county in its collection districts | Town of Herndon curbside service | Town of Vienna | City of Fairfax curbside service for houses and townhouses |
| Public schools | Fairfax County Public Schools | Fairfax County Public Schools | Fairfax County Public Schools | City-owned schools run by FCPS |
Fairfax County’s trash page says about 90% of county residents and businesses use a private hauler. More in our trash and recycling guide and who to call guide.
How to check an address
- Which place, and which tax district: look up the parcel on Fairfax County’s real estate assessment search for Reston, Herndon and Vienna; the tax district on the record shows whether a town levy or the Reston Community Center levy applies. For the City of Fairfax, use the city’s own real estate assessment records.
- Which schools: the FCPS boundary locator for any Fairfax County or City of Fairfax address.
- What the bill will be: the county’s tax rate page, and the Town of Vienna’s calculator for the town portion.
For the areas inside Reston, see our Reston neighborhoods guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are property taxes higher in Reston or Herndon?
Herndon’s combined residential rate is higher: about $1.4235 per $100 of assessed value for 2026, the Fairfax County rate and levies plus the Town of Herndon’s 27 cents. Most Reston homes pay about $1.2005, the county rate and levies plus the 4.7-cent Reston Community Center levy.
Is Reston part of Herndon?
No. Herndon is an incorporated town with its own council, police and trash service. Reston is an unincorporated area of Fairfax County with no town government. Some homes near Reston use Herndon mailing addresses but are outside the Town of Herndon.
Does the City of Fairfax have its own schools?
The City of Fairfax owns its schools, including Fairfax High, and Fairfax County Public Schools runs them under a contract with the city, according to the city’s facilities directory. Reston, Herndon and Vienna are in Fairfax County Public Schools directly.
Which has the shortest commute: Reston, Herndon, Vienna or Fairfax?
The Census Bureau’s mean travel time to work is 26 minutes in Reston, 26.3 in Vienna, 27.5 in Herndon and 28 in the City of Fairfax (2020-2024 American Community Survey). The four are within two minutes of each other.
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