Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,203, settled in 1882.
Fairfax’s best subject grades are an A for safety and cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. Only 13 of Minnesota’s 572 towns score lower on health. Fairfax is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 68% of U.S. towns. Only 15 of Minnesota’s 574 towns score lower on incomes. Minneapolis and St. Louis Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fairfax has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Fairfax beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Fairfax is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1883.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fairfax, 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 Fairfax.
At 1.7 per 1,000 residents, Fairfax’s property crime rate is against 8.7 in Minnesota’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns.
| Fairfax | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praire Lutheran School Upper Site PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 78 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
At $432 a month, Fairfax’s median rent is where Minnesota’s towns sit at $1,196 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. Typical home values rose 7.4% in the year to September 2026.
| Fairfax | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $432 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Fairfax for work: only 8% work in town. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Fairfax. Since 2013, Fairfax has lost 126 jobs, to 189 in 2023.
| Fairfax | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 4.5% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
14% of Fairfax adults have diabetes. Fairfax beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 40% of Fairfax adults have obesity.
| Fairfax | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Fairfax | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.9% | 76.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.6% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Fairfax has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 6° and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fairfax Brush Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Fairfax West Park | — | 2 |
| 3. St. John's Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fairfax. Close and well known come first.
20 mi MuseumWanda Gág House
20 mi MuseumBrown County Museum20 mi GardenAlexander Ramsey Park
13 mi MuseumRenville County Historical Museum
25 mi GardenGaylord City ParkWanda Gág House: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Brown County Museum: Flip Schulke, Public domain · Renville County Historical Museum: Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gaylord City Park: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
None within 15 miles of Fairfax; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Fairfax residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Fairfax’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Minnesota, United States
Fairfax is a city in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2020 census. Minnesota State Highways 4 and 19 are two of the main arterial routes in the city. Fort Ridgely State Park is nearby.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 A.
2 notable people were born here, including Mike Prax and Monica Witni.
