Fairfield Bay, AR 001, 2016
Fairfield Bay’s story
26 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,460 in 2000, 2,108 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1973 on.
- 2000Fairfield Bay is settled
Fairfield BayAR
A town of 2,198, settled in 2000. 41% more nonprofits per person than the typical Arkansas town.
Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,198
2025 Census estimate · +4.4% since 2020
Typical home
$143K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
68.4
years
Jobs based here
453
A commuter town
Is Fairfield Bay a good place to live?
The best of Fairfield Bay’s subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a D for walkability. 59% of residents are 65 or older in Fairfield Bay, against 16% in Arkansas’ towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Fairfield Bay. Fairfield Bay's public schools trail 79% of Arkansas towns on state tests and graduation. Fairfield Bay’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, above both Arkansas’ towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). No town in Arkansas scores lower than Fairfield Bay on history. Fairfield Bay has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Fairfield Bay stand out
Where Fairfield Bay beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Fairfield Bay4.8
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical AR town3.4
Civic lifeA
41% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Arkansas town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Fairfield Bay$143K
Arkansas$224K
Cost of livingB+
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 70% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
How Fairfield Bay grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Arkansas), ordered by how far Fairfield Bay is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.5 of 20; 7% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & income$57K median household incomeDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →HealthOzark Health 10.7 miles awayC+Open →SafetyC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landB−Open →HistoryD−Open →Civic life4.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Fairfield Bay: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fairfield Bay, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Arkansas13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCommunity Water System1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Fairfield Bay’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personArkansas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereVan Buren County ClerkVan Buren County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code7208872088 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Fairfield Bay.
Who lives here
The median age in Fairfield Bay is higher than in most of Arkansas or the rest of the country
The median age in Fairfield Bay is 68.4 years. Fairfield Bay has grown 4.4% since 2020, to 2,198 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 30% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Fairfield Bay.
68.4median age · AR 38.5
| Fairfield Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 68.4 years | 36.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 20% | 29% |
Fairfield BayArkansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
32%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school30%
Some college24%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
53.6% women, 46.4% men
About 87 men for every 100 women. Across Arkansas, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Fairfield Bay | AR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.3% | 10.8% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.1% | 9.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.9% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.8% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.6% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 26.6% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 32.1% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.2% | 11.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 34.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.7% | 20.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.2% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 16.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 9.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade B+
Fairfield Bay’s typical home value is about $143K
The typical Fairfield Bay home is worth about $143,000, about the same as a year ago, 36% below the Arkansas typical home. 87% of Fairfield Bay households own their home.
$143KZillow home value
| Fairfield Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 60% | 73% |
| Median rent | $838 a month | $878 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Fairfield Bay$143K
Arkansas$224K
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Fairfield Bay’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
About one in 5 of Fairfield Bay’s working residents works in town. Fairfield Bay’s average trip to work is 28 minutes. Since 2013, Fairfield Bay has added 105 jobs, to 453 in 2023.
20%work in town
| Fairfield Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 22% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 18% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $55,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Fairfield Bay20%
Clinton10%
Conway6%
Little Rock5%
Heber Springs4%
19 mi
median commute distance
453
jobs based in Fairfield Bay
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 10% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Fairfield Bay faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesIce storms
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Fairfield Bay
Fairfield Bay has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 29° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–50°
Spring48–70°
Summer67–88°
Fall49–71°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 31
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Fairfield Bay are less healthy than 63% of U.S. towns
Fairfield Bay beats the Arkansas average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. Only 1 of the 124 Arkansas towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Fairfield Bay.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Fairfield Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 54% | 41% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 86% | 78% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 20% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Arkansas
17 better7 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Fairfield Bay | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.9% | 14.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.2% | 10.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16% | 8.2% |
Ozark Health
10.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyC+
For safety, Fairfield Bay earns a C+
Fairfield Bay reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 63% report less.
37%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
| Fairfield Bay | Arkansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.4 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Fairfield Bay2.3
Arkansas5.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Fairfield Bay11.4
Arkansas16.7
U.S.15.5
37th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
25
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB−
Fairfield Bay has set aside 3.2% of its land for conservation
25 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
3.2%conserved
3.2%
conserved · 312 of 9,650 acres
25 mi
of trails · 1.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fairfield Bay Walking Trail | — | 10 |
| 2. Woodland Mead Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Fairfield Bay City Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fairfield Bay
19pages on Fairfield Bay
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 79% of AR districtsSafetyC+2.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than AR on 17 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$143K typical home · down 0.4% in a yearWork & commuteD$57K median household income · 453 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 73% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Fairfield Bay; the nearest are
Hendrix CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Conway35.9 mi$38,200 tuitionOzarka CollegeCommunity college · Public · Melbourne37.5 mi$3,820 in-state tuitionUniversity of Central ArkansasUniversity or college · Public · Conway37.7 mi$10,523 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Fairfield Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.
About Fairfield Bay
City in Arkansas, United States
Fairfield Bay is a city in Cleburne and Van Buren counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The population was 2,108 at the 2020 census. The population in its portion in Van Buren County, which accounts for the bulk of the city limits, made the city the most populous in Van Buren County as of the 2000 census, but with a slight decline in population, lost the distinction to Clinton as of 2010. Fairfield Bay, located on the shore of Greers Ferry Lake, is home to Fairfield Bay Resort, the namesake of Wyndham Worldwide-owned Fairfield Resorts.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 15 sq mi
- Elevation
- 869 ft
- ZIP code
- 72088
- Area code
- 501
Questions about Fairfield Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fairfield Bay, AR a good place to live?
41% more nonprofits per person than the typical Arkansas town.
Is Fairfield Bay, AR expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.