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Fairfield, Nebraska D Street 3Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
Town Hall · Fairfield

Fairfield spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities

Fairfield’s city government spent $323,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $875 per resident. Water and other utilities ($66,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Nebraska.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$323,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$875
In 2022: $875, less than 66% of 472 similar cities
Long-term debt
$130,000
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2025
2
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $16,660
Typical tax bill
$1,446
0.90% of home value · NE 1.49%

What stands out about how Fairfield is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $875 per resident, less than 66% of 472 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer27% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $1,446 a year: 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.
Compared with similar places

$875 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them

Fairfield’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($875 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,038, and the middle half spent $774–$1,452. Fairfield spent less than 66% of them.

Middle half of the group, $774–$1,452Median $1,038Fairfield

Includes sewer and trash ($40,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
472

Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Fairfield itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $875 per resident a year, or $2.40 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 49%.

Where the money comes from
From the federal government 39%Fees & charges 22%Property taxes 10%Utility sales 8%From the state 5%Interest, fines & other 5%Sales taxes 5%Other taxes & licenses 5%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $634,000; interest on debt $3,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Fairfield reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

City staff
2

full-time in March 2025, the same as 2 in 2022.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,446 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Nebraska$3,549
Fairfield$1,446
$1,446
typical bill a year
0.90%
effective rate
$160,900
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Fairfield’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Fairfield’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Fairfield →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Fairfield

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Fairfield’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Fairfield yet.
Who works for Fairfield

One full-time city employee for every 185 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (369).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Administration & buildings0 + 6 pt
Roads & transportation1
Parks & libraries0 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities1
2
full-time
8
part-time
$16,660
payroll for March 2025
$199,920
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$51,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Fairfield had 5.4 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 364 of the 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 4.0: Fairfield had more than 61% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

Elections · 2024 general election

Fairfield’s votes are counted by county

Nebraska reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fairfield alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clay County’s results.

President · Clay County’s results3,310 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican80.9%2,677 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat17.4%577 votes

Others: 1.7% (56 votes).

Most votes in Clay County: Donald J Trump

Nebraska: Trump 59.3%, Harris 38.9%

The county’s page

100% of Fairfield lies in Clay County. Every 2024 race in Clay County is on the county’s page.

Clay County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Fairfield

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Fairfield.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Nebraska SenateState senator
    Dave Murman
  3. 3
    GovernorStatewide
    Jim Pillen
  4. 4
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Adrian Smith
  5. 5
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Nebraska
    Deb FischerPete Ricketts

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Fairfield’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Fairfield’s government

How much does Fairfield spend per resident?

About $875 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $875 was less than 66% of 472 Nebraska cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Fairfield?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,446 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.90% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Nebraska. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Fairfield’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Fairfield yet.

How did Fairfield vote in 2024?

Nebraska counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Fairfield alone. Clay County, where 100% of Fairfield lies, voted Trump 80.9%, Harris 17.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Fairfield?

2 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $16,660 (about $199,920 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Fairfield in the state legislature?

State Senate District 38 (Dave Murman). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Fairfield’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →