Downtown Fairfax, Missouri in 2019, 2019
Fairfax’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 329 in 1890, 648 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1936 on.
- 1881Fairfax is settled
FairfaxMO
A town of 627, settled in 1881.
Photo: Grey Wanderer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
627
2025 Census estimate · −2.9% since 2020
Typical home
$138K
−0.8% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
47.2
years
Jobs based here
90
A commuter town
Is Fairfax a good place to live?
Only 2 of the 248 Missouri towns we compare have a lower January low than Fairfax. Fairfax has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
627 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Fairfax: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fairfax, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy12.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFairfax PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers38% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Fairfax’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Missouri you can register online until 27 days before Election Day, in person until 27 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 27 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAtchisonAtchison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code6444664446 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 Fairfax.
Housing
The median rent in Fairfax is lower than in the typical Missouri or U.S. town
Fairfax’s median rent is $550 a month, below both the Missouri town median ($971 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical Fairfax home is worth about $138,000, down 0.8% in a year, 48% below the Missouri typical home.
$138KZillow home value
| Fairfax | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $550 a month | $971 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Fairfax$138K
Missouri$265K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Fairfax’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Fairfax R-III. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax Elem.Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 66 | B+ |
| Fairfax HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 68 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Fairfax’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Fairfax for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Fairfax has lost 29 jobs, to 90 in 2023. Fairfax’s median household income is $56,000, against $62,000 in Missouri’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns.
2%work in town
| Fairfax | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 13% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Fairfax2%
Tarkio16%
Rock Port8%
St. Joseph7%
Maryville6%
27 mi
median commute distance
90
jobs based in Fairfax
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Fairfax
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Fairfax, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Fairfax has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 16° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–38°
Spring41–64°
Summer64–85°
Fall42–66°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Fairfax is
Fairfax beats the Missouri average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 42% of adults have obesity in Fairfax.
| Fairfax | Missouri towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Missouri
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Fairfax | MO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 8% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.1% | 6.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.6% |
Community Hospital Association
1.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 299 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fairfax City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fairfax
19pages on Fairfax
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Fairfax; the nearest are
Peru State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Peru, NE20.2 mi$8,640 in-state tuitionHighland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Highland, KS33.7 mi$4,080 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Fairfax residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Fairfax for work
Where Fairfax’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
90jobs based in Fairfax
2%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Fairfax
City in Atchison County, Missouri, United States
Fairfax is a city in Clark Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 648 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 909 ft
- ZIP code
- 64446
- Area code
- 660
Questions about Fairfax
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fairfax, MO a good place to live?
Fairfax has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.