How are homes heated in Difficult Run, VA?

Name: Heating fuel in Difficult Run, VA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Difficult Run, used by 56.6% (±4.8 points) of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

34.1% heat with electricity.

6.2% heat with fuel oil or kerosene.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Utility gas: 56.6% (±4.8 points)
Electricity: 34.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene: 6.2%

Heating fuel in Difficult Run

Occupied housing units by house heating fuel, 2020–2024
Fuel used most	Difficult Run	Fairfax County	Virginia	United States
Utility gas	56.6% (±4.8 points)	54.4%	32.3%	46.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.	6.2% (±2.1 points)	1.2%	3.2%	3.9%
Electricity	34.1% (±4.6 points)	42.0%	57.5%	41.3%
Bottled or tank gas (propane)	2.2% (±1.4 points)	1.4%	4.3%	4.9%
Wood	0.0% (±1.3 points)	0.1%	1.6%	1.4%
Solar energy	0.0% (±1.3 points)	0.1%	0.2%	0.3%
Coal or coke	0.0% (±1.3 points)	0.0%	0.0%	0.1%
Other fuel	0.0% (±1.3 points)	0.3%	0.3%	0.5%
No fuel used	0.9% (±1.3 points)	0.5%	0.6%	1.2%

The survey asks which fuel is used most to heat the home, so a home with a heat pump and an oil backup is counted once, under the one it uses most.

In Difficult Run, the share of homes heating with fuel oil is higher than in Fairfax County (1.2%).

It is also higher than in Virginia (3.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (3.9%).

In Difficult Run, the share of homes heating with electricity is lower than in Fairfax County (42.0%).

It is also lower than in Virginia (57.5%).

It is lower than the national figure (41.3%).

Homes heated by electricity in places near Difficult Run

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Difficult Run
Place	Distance	Homes heated by electricity	Compared with this place
Difficult Run	—	34.1% (±4.6 points)	—
Oakton	2.6 mi	46.1% (±3.5 points)	Higher
Franklin Farm	2.7 mi	53.6% (±4.3 points)	Higher
Navy	2.7 mi	24.8% (±8.5 points)	Not measurably different
Fair Oaks	2.9 mi	46.7% (±4.2 points)	Higher
Reston	3.0 mi	50.4% (±2.3 points)	Higher
Greenbriar	3.8 mi	40.6% (±6.8 points)	Not measurably different
Floris	3.8 mi	40.3% (±5.6 points)	Not measurably different
Wolf Trap	4.0 mi	23.3% (±3.4 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Wolf Trap, VA (23.3%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Oakton, VA (46.1%), Franklin Farm, VA (53.6%), Fair Oaks, VA (46.7%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes heated by fuel oil across Fairfax County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes heated by fuel oil
1	Clifton	19.1% (±16.1 points)
2	Mason Neck	10.6% (±4.1 points)
3	Union Mill	8.3% (±3.8 points)
4	Woodburn	6.4% (±5.3 points)
5	Difficult Run	6.2% (±2.1 points)
6	Braddock	6.0% (±2.8 points)
7	Mount Vernon	5.9% (±1.7 points)
8	Great Falls	5.5% (±2.5 points)
9	Fairfax Station	4.0% (±1.9 points)
10	Wakefield (community)	3.8% (±1.3 points)
11	Hayfield	2.9% (±3.1 points)

Showing 11 of 69 places in Fairfax County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Difficult Run is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Difficult Run

What is the most common way to heat a home in Difficult Run?

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Difficult Run, used by 56.6% of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many homes in Difficult Run heat with oil?

6.2% (±2.1 points) of occupied homes in Difficult Run use fuel oil or kerosene as their main heating fuel.

How many homes in Difficult Run have electric heat?

34.1% (±4.6 points) of occupied homes in Difficult Run heat mainly with electricity, which includes heat pumps.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Difficult Run CDP, Virginia

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Difficult Run CDP, Virginia (place:22472, in state:51).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0063PE, DP04_0063PM, DP04_0066PE, DP04_0066PM, DP04_0065PE, DP04_0065PM, DP04_0064PE, DP04_0064PM, DP04_0068PE, DP04_0068PM, DP04_0069PE, DP04_0069PM, DP04_0067PE, DP04_0067PM, DP04_0070PE, DP04_0070PM, DP04_0071PE, DP04_0071PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.