Population 6,354 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fairfield
Household size in Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.17 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.15 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Fairfield are small: just 2.07 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 2.24 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only ten of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.1 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.1 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Fairfield skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.1, in line with the national trend.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Fairfield (8.9%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 2.7 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Fairfield
Renters in Fairfield
| Period | Fairfield | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.5% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.9 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Fairfield own their homes; 26.6% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 49.1% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the north. The renter share has fallen 6.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.9% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Fairfield as nationally: 9.9%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Illinois overall (8.1%). Vacancy has risen 2.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Fairfield is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $486 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $498 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $628 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $600 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$114 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Fairfield costs $600 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $114 a month since 2006–10, up 23%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 26.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. No other Illinois city with 5,000+ people has lower rents.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Fairfield have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 20 have a lower share of college graduates.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.1% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.9% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Fairfield have finished high school (91.7%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Illinois as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 8.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Fairfield has been strong: just 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.7 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
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 | 2.07 | 44.9 | 8.9% | 26.6% | 9.9% | 1968 | $600 | 15.0% | 91.7% | 3.4% |
| Merriam | 2.37 | 46.4 | 5.2% | 13.5% | 10.1% | 1984 | $810 | 17.8% | 82.5% | 8.5% |
| Jeffersonville | 2.28 | 50.1 | 4.7% | 9.5% | 10.1% | 1979 | $841 | 17.6% | 93.4% | 3.4% |
| Geff | 2.29 | 50.0 | 4.4% | 11.1% | 8.5% | 1980 | $840 | 19.3% | 93.2% | 3.1% |
| Barnhill | 2.41 | 52.7 | 3.5% | 12.2% | 5.7% | 1987 | $758 | 18.0% | 93.2% | 9.1% |
| Toms Prairie | 2.37 | 47.7 | 6.3% | 1.4% | 17.7% | 1979 | $802 | 11.1% | 93.3% | 4.7% |
| Golden Gate | 2.28 | 37.7 | 7.8% | 20.5% | 13.5% | 1986 | $802 | 16.6% | 67.8% | 7.1% |
| Sims | 2.24 | 48.0 | 10.7% | 18.2% | 14.3% | 1980 | $681 | 12.2% | 94.5% | 1.7% |
| Mill Shoals | 2.16 | 49.3 | 6.5% | 12.4% | 7.5% | 1967 | $785 | 17.8% | 92.0% | 3.9% |
| Round Prairie | 3.33 | 28.3 | 9.9% | 12.2% | 17.0% | 1992 | $681 | 16.1% | 81.7% | 3.7% |
| Wayne City | 2.19 | 45.8 | 10.9% | 23.5% | 7.1% | 1978 | $793 | 15.1% | 96.1% | 2.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Oak Harbor, OH · Ormond-by-the-Sea, FL · Orange Home, FL · Olmito, TX · Ocklawaha, FL · Oceano, CA · Ocean Shores, WA · Ocean Isle Beach, NC · Oakmont, PA · Oakland, MI
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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