Population 15,873 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Fairhaven: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Fairhaven
Household size in Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.54 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.31 | 2.49 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Fairhaven are small: just 2.31 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 edged down from 2.36 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.7 | 39.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.5 | 40.5 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.0 | 41.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.2 | 41.7 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +2.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.2, Fairhaven is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 45.7 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 12.5% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 12.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 11.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 12.1% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.5% of households in Fairhaven, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Fairhaven
Renters in Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.2% | 37.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.6% | 39.0% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 38.6% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.6% | 36.8% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Fairhaven rent their homes (25.6%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 37.4% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 1.6 points, 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 Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 10.3% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 10.5% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 10.7% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Fairhaven as nationally: 8.8%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 2.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1959 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1955 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1960 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1962 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Fairhaven is a place of older homes: half were built before 1957, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1952 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the west 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 Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $883 | $928 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $923 | $974 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,085 | $1,103 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,253 | $1,439 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$370 | +$511 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Fairhaven runs $1,253 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $370 a month since 2006–10, up 42%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 23.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the south.
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 Fairhaven
Bachelor's degrees in Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 28.5% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.8% | 29.6% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.1% | 32.4% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.1% | 35.2% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.9 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly a third of adults 25 and older in Fairhaven (32.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 11.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Fairhaven has a lower share of college graduates than at least four in five Massachusetts cities.
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 Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.7% | 82.1% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.8% | 83.9% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.9% | 87.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 88.3% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +6.2 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Fairhaven have finished high school (92.8%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 8.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Compared with other Massachusetts cities, though, Fairhaven has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
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 Fairhaven
| Period | Fairhaven | Providence area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 8.5% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 10.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.5% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.9%, unemployment in Fairhaven is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.8 points, a smaller shift than nationally. 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).
Fairhaven 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairhaven | 2.31 | 48.2 | 8.5% | 25.6% | 8.8% | 1957 | $1,253 | 32.1% | 92.8% | 5.9% |
| New Bedford | 2.42 | 37.7 | 18.9% | 59.8% | 6.3% | 1948 | $1,175 | 16.4% | 75.7% | 8.2% |
| Silver Shell Beach | 2.25 | 59.9 | 16.3% | 14.7% | 35.0% | 1972 | $1,645 | 41.7% | 98.3% | 6.2% |
| Tinkhamtown | 2.33 | 52.6 | 5.9% | 7.2% | 9.0% | 1979 | $1,332 | 40.7% | 92.0% | 1.6% |
| Mattapoisett | 2.37 | 58.7 | 3.7% | 8.2% | 25.1% | 1980 | $1,595 | 54.1% | 93.7% | 0.1% |
| Mattapoisett Center | 2.13 | 50.4 | 10.4% | 22.7% | 25.9% | 1965 | $1,570 | 62.8% | 94.7% | 2.5% |
| Acushnet | 2.61 | 46.3 | 12.0% | 14.9% | 1.3% | 1972 | $1,277 | 26.4% | 87.2% | 2.8% |
| South Dartmouth | 2.34 | 52.0 | 5.4% | 27.1% | 11.7% | 1963 | $1,640 | 44.7% | 88.9% | 2.8% |
| Smith Mills | 2.30 | 46.5 | 5.3% | 21.0% | 1.9% | 1970 | $842 | 36.5% | 86.6% | 6.2% |
| North Dartmouth | 2.52 | 39.4 | 6.9% | 24.1% | 5.0% | 1983 | $1,380 | 36.1% | 87.0% | 4.5% |
| Dartmouth | 2.65 | 51.1 | 4.8% | 5.3% | 12.4% | 1977 | $1,685 | 43.4% | 87.4% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Alachua, FL · Alamo, CA · Wyckoff, NJ · Alexander, AR · New Carrollton, MD · Morgan City, LA · Morganville, NJ · Mount Clemens, MI · Mount Kisco, NY · Mount Sterling, KY
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 Fairhaven. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.