Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fairhaven is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B overall, 181st among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $96K. Expect to pay for it: the typical home is worth about $506K, 5.8 years of the Providence metro’s $87K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. Fairhaven’s trail density is 0.5 miles per square mile, below Massachusetts’ towns (1.8) and close to U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Fort Phoenix and Ezekiel Sawin House. Fairhaven is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns.
Where Fairhaven beats most towns.
Census counts: 4,304 in 1850, a low of 2,626 in 1870, 15,924 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1652 and 7 maps from 1888 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Fairhaven is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fairhaven. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi MuseumThe Breakers
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
16 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
25 mi Ancient siteHMS Endeavour
25 mi MuseumMarble House
25 mi MuseumThe ElmsThe Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain · Marble House: [email protected], Public domain · The Elms: The original uploader was Daderot at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fairhaven, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Fairhaven.
Fairhaven trades workers with New Bedford and other neighbors and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts; it also has a long record of flood insurance claims.
336 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 15 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 336 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fairhaven.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Fairhaven school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Fairhaven High, with 568 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leroy WoodLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 428 | B+ |
| Fairhaven HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 568 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
At $1,118 a month, Fairhaven’s median rent is against $1,683 a month in Massachusetts’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. The typical Fairhaven home is worth about $506,000, up 3.1% in a year, 23% below the Massachusetts typical home.
| Fairhaven | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,118 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
6.9 miles of trail in 47 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Winsegansett Marshes, at 157 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Winsegansett Marshes | 0.8 mi | 157 |
| 2. Fort Phoenix Beach State Reservation | 0.3 mi | 17 |
| 3. Nulands Neck | — | 91 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Fairhaven has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Fairhaven is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 84% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
Fairhaven beats the Massachusetts average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 84% of Fairhaven adults had a checkup this year.
| Fairhaven | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 82% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 28% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Fairhaven | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.5% | 75.4% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 83.7% | 80.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.7% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Fairhaven has about as many jobs (7,525) as working residents, but only 1,029 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Fairhaven for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Fairhaven has added 698 jobs, to 7,525 in 2023. Fairhaven’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
| Fairhaven | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 11% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Fairhaven sits closer to the middle.
| Fairhaven | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.3 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
3 within 15 miles of the center of Fairhaven
About 3 of every 100 Fairhaven residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Coastal flooding makes up 20% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
8 places in Fairhaven on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Fairhaven.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Fairhaven (Massachusett: Sconticut) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor with the city of New Bedford, a place well known for its whaling and fishing heritage; consequently, Fairhaven's history, economy, and culture are closely aligned with those of its larger neighbor. The population of Fairhaven was 15,924 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Fairhaven.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairhaven | #181 | B | C | B− | B− | B |
| New Bedford | #278 | D− | C− | C | D | D |
| Mattapoisett | #65 | A | C | A− | B+ | A |
| Acushnet | #142 | B+ | C− | B+ | B | B |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Fairhaven grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #181 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B for health, B− for safety and B− for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Fairhaven sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
8 notable people were born here, including John C. Bennett and Frederick Slocum.
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