Population 4,127 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Fairfax
Household size in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.42 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.15 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Fairfax run a little small, averaging 2.55 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in Iowa as a whole, where it has 2.43 people. Household size has climbed from 2.40 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.3 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.7 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.1 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Fairfax skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.3, against 40.1 nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Fairfax: 4.6% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Fairfax
Renters in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.6% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.6% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Fairfax is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About a third of owners (32.5%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.1% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Fairfax than nationally: 6.6%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1990 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1995 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1998 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2002 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +6 | +6 |
Fairfax has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2002, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $597 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $651 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $694 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,125 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$528 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Fairfax runs $1,125 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Iowa as a whole ($1,020). The typical renter here spends 28.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Fairfax
Bachelor's degrees in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.2% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.2 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in Fairfax (41.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.4% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.3% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.8% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Fairfax: 97.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Fairfax
| Period | Fairfax | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.4% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Fairfax has been strong: just 2.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Fairfax compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | 2.55 | 42.3 | 4.6% | 13.3% | 6.6% | 2002 | $1,125 | 41.8% | 97.6% | 2.4% |
| Walford | 2.50 | 39.1 | 8.0% | 12.4% | 4.7% | 1980 | $1,265 | 37.5% | 95.9% | 2.5% |
| Cedar Rapids | 2.37 | 38.9 | 11.7% | 30.5% | 9.2% | 1975 | $1,091 | 32.7% | 93.9% | 3.5% |
| Atkins | 2.85 | 40.8 | 3.9% | 7.6% | 2.2% | 1997 | $625 | 30.8% | 97.8% | 2.1% |
| Swisher | 2.69 | 43.3 | 3.8% | 11.9% | 3.1% | 1984 | $1,189 | 44.9% | 97.2% | 2.5% |
| Norway | 2.51 | 39.1 | 7.1% | 13.0% | 5.1% | 1972 | $1,060 | 29.4% | 95.1% | 2.3% |
| East Amana | 2.90 | 38.8 | 10.7% | 9.2% | 5.3% | 1982 | $932 | 43.8% | 98.5% | 7.1% |
| Palo | 2.78 | 39.1 | 13.5% | 7.2% | 2.6% | 2003 | $768 | 25.6% | 95.2% | 1.7% |
| Shueyville | 2.60 | 50.4 | 3.7% | 2.9% | 1.0% | 1988 | $1,203 | 45.8% | 99.1% | 1.8% |
| Hiawatha | 2.58 | 34.8 | 19.9% | 35.3% | 7.2% | 1986 | $955 | 29.9% | 94.1% | 4.1% |
| Ely | 2.77 | 37.7 | 9.6% | 15.5% | 5.4% | 1999 | $815 | 39.4% | 97.9% | 1.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Gamewell, NC · Hope Valley, RI · Hopewell, NJ · Horicon, WI · Centerville, IN · Enfield, NC · Gardendale, TX · Cedar Knolls, NJ · Hortense, GA · Houston, AK
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Fairfax. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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