Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 882, settled in 1904.
Only 2 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Fairview. Fairview has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 513 in 1920, a peak of 1,366 in 1980, 896 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1972 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fairview, 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 Fairview.
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.2%. 86% of Fairview households live in a home they own, against 64% in Montana’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. For Fairview, the median rent is $725 a month.
| Fairview | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $725 a month | $1,000 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Public schools: the Fairview Elementary District. Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. 3 public schools serve Fairview, with 285 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 134 | C+ |
| Fairview High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 92 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Since 1978, one flood insurance claim has been paid in Fairview. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 69% of U.S. communities.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Summers in Fairview are warm, and winters cold, snowy, with very little rain. Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 3°; snowfall runs to about 30 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The top destinations are Sidney (22%), Williston (7%) and Judson Township (3%). Most working residents leave Fairview for work: only 12% work in town. For Fairview, the income of the median household is $87,000. The median commute is under 15 miles.
| Fairview | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 39% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown. 15 crimes were reported in Fairview in 2022: 12 property and 3 violent.
Fairview is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
A tenth of Fairview adults worry about having enough food. Among 42 Montana towns, just 4 have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Fairview. Two figures for adults locally: 70% had a checkup this year, 29% feel lonely.
| Fairview | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Fairview | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.7% | 12.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.2 miles of trail. Fairview’s trail network density stands at 0.3 miles per square mile, where Montana’s towns sit at 0.6 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Only 4 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Fairview.
| Fairview | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 9.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sharbano Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Fairview; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Fairview residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Town in Montana, United States
Fairview is a town in Richland County, Montana, United States. The population was 896 at the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1913, the town lies on the North Dakota border.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fairview has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.