Photo: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0127 homes sold in Fairfield in the last year, at a typical $175K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Fairfield homes are listed.
Every place Fairfield homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Fairfield.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
13% of Fairfield’s sales are condos, at $31K less than a house
102 houses and 16 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 102 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $115IA $158
- Days to sell
- 75
- Sold over asking
- 12%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
typical sale · 16 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $142IA $165
- Days to sell
- 75
- Sold over asking
- 6%
- Listings with a price cut
- 14%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 9 sold, typical $182K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
127 sales in the last year, against 174 in 2021 and a low of 102 in 2024. The typical sale went from $112K in 2016 to $175K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $200K buys in Fairfield
Check a listing against what Fairfield homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Fairfield are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Fairfield’s home sales since 2015 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 127 sales.
If you’re buying in Fairfield
- Shop in July. It brings about 16 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (10% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 95.5% of the list price on average; 11% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 33% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 71 days.
Summer brings the homes; winter brings the bidding wars
August has the most new listings (about 16 a month), but December is the most competitive: 18% of December sales close over asking. June and July offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (14%). March has the least competition (9%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and calmer than Iowa
| Fairfield now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 11% | 11% | 18% | 22% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 33% | 5% | 6% | 36% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 20% | — | — | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 95.5% | 94.9% | 96.6% | 97.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 71 | 142 | 74 | 45 |
62 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.7 times the 2022 low (36) and about the 2017–19 level.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
20% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 27% across Iowa.
Fairfield ranks 57th of 64 busy Iowa markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Fairfield is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2015 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Fairfield home costs about $1,160 a month
Price: Fairfield’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Fairfield’s 1.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Fairfield is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in August
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 7.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $175K home, about $2,970 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Fairfield, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in FairfieldTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Fairfield.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Ottumwa sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Fairfield, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa | 251 | $125K | $97 | 10% | 60 |
| Washington | 129 | $191K | $123 | 14% | 56 |
| Fairfield | 127 | $175K | $116 | 11% | 71 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Fairfield, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Fairfield. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Fairfield with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Fairfield
What do homes sell for in Fairfield, IA?
127 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $175K, $116 a square foot. Houses sold for about $182K, condos for about $150K.
Is Fairfield a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 64 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 12 sold, about 5.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 95.5% of asking on average, and 20% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Fairfield?
August brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Fairfield?
About 1.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $175K home that’s near $2,970.
Where can I see homes for sale in Fairfield?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Fairfield’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Fairfield.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).