Is Fairfax, SD a Good Place to Live?
Fairfax is a small town of 135 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $41,250 . Its cost of living index is 87 (US average = 100), which is 13% below the national average.
Strengths: Fairfax stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Fairfax is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fairfax city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 86.9Fairfax's overall cost of living index is 86.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fairfax costs roughly 13% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Fairfax, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $48,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $975 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 91.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $41,250 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Fairfax is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Fairfax, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 13.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fairfax sees average highs of 31.3°F in January and 86.5°F in July, with 25.9 inches of annual precipitation and 37.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Fairfax, SD |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 31.3°F |
| Average High — July | 86.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 25.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 37.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Fairfax, SD | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 135 | — |
| Median Age | 45.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 44.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 98.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 26.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 24.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fairfax
Fairfax, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: