Numbers for curious NoVA parents
Geeky Data
Child population, local geography, summer weather, and the outing details parents need before leaving home.
Directory snapshot: 2026-07-29Population estimates: 2024
How many young kids live here?
The region is large, and the youngest residents are not spread evenly across it.
What the public data says
These figures help explain why distance, weather, and neighborhood-level coverage matter for a family outing.
Children by age
| Age | Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun | Full Northern Virginia region |
|---|---|---|
| Younger than 1 | 19,124 | 29,228 |
| Ages 1 to 3 | 60,210 | 90,335 |
| Ages 4 to 6 | 65,891 | 96,097 |
| Ages 7 to 10 | 94,595 | 135,262 |
| Total ages 0 to 10 | 239,820 | 350,922 |
| All children under 18 | 413,745 | 596,029 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county estimates by single year of age. The full-region definition follows the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. Town populations are already included in their counties.
Young children per square mile
Population alone misses how different these counties feel on the ground. Arlington has far more young children in each square mile than Loudoun, where destinations can be much farther apart.
| County | Land area, sq. mi. | Children ages 0 to 10 | Children per sq. mi. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County | 26 | 25,720 | 989 |
| Fairfax County | 391 | 150,446 | 385 |
| Loudoun County | 515.7 | 63,654 | 123 |
Child counts use the 2024 Census population estimates. Land area comes from the Census Bureau profiles for each county. Density is a Playdate NoVA calculation using those two public figures.
What we have checked so far
These counts come from public Playdate NoVA listings with a first-party source.
Current place coverage compared with child population
Across Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun, Playdate NoVA currently documents 71 source-backed places, or 3.0 per 10,000 children ages 0 to 10, including 22 with a free main experience, or 0.9 per 10,000.
| County | Children ages 0 to 10 | Places | Places per 10,000 | Free places per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County | 25,720 | 14 | 5.4 | 3.1 |
| Fairfax County | 150,446 | 35 | 2.3 | 0.6 |
| Loudoun County | 63,654 | 22 | 3.5 | 0.8 |
This measures directory coverage, not every outing that exists. A lower number can mean we still have more source checking to do.
Places by county
| Area | Source-backed places |
|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 35 |
| Loudoun County | 22 |
| Arlington County | 14 |
| City of Alexandria | 4 |
| Prince William County | 3 |
Ready-to-cite summaries
Northern Virginia had an estimated 350,922 children ages 0 to 10 in 2024. The three counties currently covered by the Playdate NoVA place directory had 239,820 children in that age range.
Playdate NoVA reviewed 78 source-backed family places across Northern Virginia as of 2026-07-29. 25 have a free main experience, 78 include bathroom details, and 78 include parking details.
The CSV includes a unit, geography, plain-language definition, source URL, and calculation note for every metric.
How we counted and where it came from
Child counts use the Census Bureau's July 1, 2024 estimates by single year of age. Younger than 1 means age 0, so it does not overlap with ages 1 to 3. Full Northern Virginia uses the regional planning district's four counties and five independent cities.
County land area comes from the Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Census profiles. July temperatures come from the National Weather Service Dulles normals.
Directory numbers come from the public Playdate NoVA database. A place is included only when it has an official or first-party source link and is still public on the site. Free means the main outing can be enjoyed without admission, even if optional food, rides, programs, or rentals cost extra.
When quoting these figures, please link to this page so readers can see the current count, source vintage, and method.
Data citation terms
You may quote individual statistics from this page with attribution to Playdate NoVA and a link to this page. Republishing the full CSV or the underlying place and event listings requires written permission. Source data remain subject to the original publishers' terms.
Explore the underlying guides and trackers
Birthday price and policy trackerSplash pad parent logistics indexFree things to do with kidsFairfax playgrounds with bathroomsNoVA splash pads and water playThis weekend with kids