Population 11,099 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fairfield
Household size in Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.22 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.11 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.06 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Fairfield are small: just 2.06 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.22 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Iowa city with 5,000+ people has smaller households.
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 Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.5 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.8 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.5 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Fairfield is 43.8 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has dropped from 45.2 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the east.
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 Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Fairfield: 6.4% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 1.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Fairfield has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Iowa cities.
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 Fairfield
Renters in Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.8% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.6% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.9% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.3% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Fairfield is about as common as it is nationally: 36.3% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Iowa as a whole (28.3%). Among homeowners, 60.3% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 3.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.8% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Fairfield is close to the national rate: 11.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Iowa overall (8.8%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.7 points, as it has nationally.
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 Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1964 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +6 |
Fairfield is a place of older homes: half were built before 1964, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $582 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $633 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $713 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $886 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$303 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Fairfield runs $886 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $303 a month from 2006–10, a 52% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 37.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the east.
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 Fairfield
Bachelor's degrees in Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.7% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.6% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.5% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 48.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.2 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Fairfield: 48.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 15.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.4% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.2% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.3% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.7% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Fairfield: 96.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 5.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Fairfield has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Iowa cities.
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 Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Fairfield: 9.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only one other Iowa city with 5,000+ people has higher unemployment. Unemployment is up 3.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Fairfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 2.06 | 43.8 | 6.4% | 36.3% | 11.0% | 1964 | $886 | 48.9% | 96.7% | 9.8% |
| Maharishi Vedic City | 1.92 | 52.6 | 7.6% | 28.9% | 10.2% | 1968 | $1,017 | 31.8% | 93.3% | 3.7% |
| Perlee | 2.02 | 60.0 | 5.9% | 16.1% | 9.4% | 1962 | $688 | 28.3% | 95.4% | 2.9% |
| Libertyville | 2.06 | 55.1 | 3.2% | 16.6% | 5.0% | 1980 | $960 | 19.7% | 98.0% | 1.8% |
| Salina | 2.33 | 50.1 | 4.2% | 22.2% | 11.2% | 1969 | $722 | 27.6% | 89.4% | 0.9% |
| Pekin | 2.58 | 44.6 | 6.7% | 10.3% | 3.9% | 1942 | $763 | 26.0% | 87.8% | 8.8% |
| Birmingham | 2.28 | 47.6 | 11.0% | 17.6% | 9.7% | 1967 | $527 | 18.1% | 92.1% | 1.1% |
| Batavia | 2.15 | 50.1 | 8.6% | 27.1% | 9.4% | 1969 | $961 | 28.2% | 94.0% | 4.8% |
| Lockridge | 2.49 | 39.5 | 6.6% | 35.1% | 13.8% | 1967 | $770 | 26.3% | 80.4% | 1.1% |
| Glasgow | 2.44 | 42.4 | 5.7% | 32.2% | 12.2% | 1967 | $749 | 24.7% | 81.6% | 1.2% |
| East Pleasant Plain | 1.98 | 60.5 | 6.6% | 18.0% | 9.4% | 1960 | $688 | 28.3% | 95.3% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cheboygan, MI · Willits, CA · Cape May, NJ · Cardiff By The Sea, CA · Carmel, CA · Carroll, IA · Carthage, MS · Central, SC · Chamblee, GA · Charlton, MA
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 Fairfield. 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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