Fairfield, AL

City in Jefferson County, AL, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

9,728

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

30.3

years ∙ half population younger than 30.3, half older

Diversity Index

17.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0.6%

foreign-born population

99.4%Native

0.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Fairfield is a city within Jefferson County, Alabama, United States.

Location

City in Jefferson County, AL, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.474802° N, 86.919407° W

DMS33° 28′ 29.29″ N, 86° 55′ 09.87″ W

Population Density & area

2,812/sq mi (1,085/km²)

Total Area

3.46 sq mi (8.97 km²)

Land Area

3.46 sq mi (8.97 km²) · 100%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

42% male

Male 42%

Female 58%

males per 100 females

Fairfield 72.3

Jefferson County 90.3

Alabama 94.4

Nativity

0.6%

foreign-born population

99.4%Native

0.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Fairfield 0.6%

Jefferson County 4.9%

Alabama 4%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

30.3

years ∙ half population younger than 30.3, half older

Fairfield

30.3

Jefferson County

37.7

Alabama

39.3

Dependency ratio

78.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Fairfield 78.3

Jefferson County 65.9

Alabama 66.7

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	25.9%	22.9%	22.2%
Working age (18-64)	56.1%	60.3%	60%
Senior (65+)	18%	16.8%	17.8%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	78.3	65.9	66.7
Child dependency ratio	46.2	38.1	37.1
Old-age dependency ratio	32.1	27.8	29.6

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

6.6%

Black

90.7%

Asian

0.1%

Hispanic

0.2%

Other

2.4%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

17.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Fairfield 17.3%

Jefferson County 59.3%

Alabama 52.8%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Fairfield population

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Hispanic or Latino	0.2%	5.5%	5.6%
Mexican	0.1%	3.3%	3.2%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	0.5%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.2%	1.7%	1.7%
Not Hispanic or Latino	99.8%	94.5%	94.4%
One race	97.6%	92.2%	91.1%
White	6.6%	47.5%	63.4%
Black or African American	90.7%	42.1%	25.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Asian	0.1%	1.9%	1.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.1%	0%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.5%	0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.2%	2.3%	3.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

55.7% family

Family 55.7%

Non family 44.3%

% family households

Fairfield 55.7%

Jefferson County 60.7%

Alabama 64.5%

Average household size

2.38

persons per household

Fairfield

2.38

Jefferson County

2.4

Alabama

2.48

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Fairfield population

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Total households	3,744	269,883	1,997,247
Average houshold size	2.38	2.4	2.48
Family households	2,084	163,916	1,287,290
Average family size	3.24	3.11	3.11
Married couple family	774	106,993	920,332
Other families	1,310	56,923	366,958
Male householder	167	12,651	87,023
Female householder	1,143	44,272	279,935
Non-family households	1,660	105,967	709,957
One-person households	1,597	90,965	615,375
Male householder	809	38,709	273,110
Senior (65+) living alone	220	10,588	84,581
Female householder	788	52,256	342,265
Senior (65+) living alone	452	22,926	170,988
Other living arrangements	63	15,002	94,582

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

4,731

housing units

Fairfield 4,731

Jefferson County 310,789

Alabama 2,337,265

Occupancy status

79.1% occupied

Occupied 79.1%

Vacant 20.9%

vacancy rate

Fairfield 20.9%

Jefferson County 13.2%

Alabama 14.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

77.2%

Single family houses

77.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

21%

Mobile homes

1.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1965

Half of houses were built before 1965, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

16.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

46.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

36.3%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

0.9%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6	5.8	5.9
1–3 rooms	6.6%	10.6%	8.4%
4–6 rooms	54.9%	52.4%	54.5%
7+ rooms	38.5%	37%	36.9%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.6%	1.8%	1.5%
1 bedroom	7.2%	8.8%	6.3%
2 bedrooms	26.1%	25.3%	21.6%
3 bedrooms	45.4%	43.3%	48.3%
4+ bedrooms	19.6%	20.8%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1965	1976	1987
Total housing units	4,731	310,789	2,337,265

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

59% owners

Renter-occupied 41%

Owner-occupied 59%

homeownership rate

Fairfield 59%

Jefferson County 63.9%

Alabama 70.2%

Average household size

2.42

Owner-occupied

2.33

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Fairfield 2.42

Jefferson County 2.54

Alabama 2.57

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Total occupied units	3,744	269,883	1,997,247
Year moved in
2020 or later	16%	26.6%	23.9%
2010 to 2019	39.6%	38.3%	38.3%
2000 to 2009	11.8%	15.2%	16.7%
1999 or earlier	32.6%	19.9%	21.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.4%	98.4%	98.3%
1.01 to 1.50	1.4%	1.1%	1.2%
1.51 or more	1.2%	0.4%	0.5%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	14.8%	7%	5.4%
1 vehicle	39.5%	35.2%	31.6%
2 vehicles	30.7%	35.6%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	15%	22.2%	26.4%
House heating fuel used
Gas	57.2%	50.2%	31%
Electricity	41.9%	48.7%	67.4%
Solar	0%	0%	0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	0.1%
All other fuels	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%
No fuel used	0.8%	0.7%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	1.1%	0.6%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.7%	0.9%	0.7%
No telephone service available	1%	0.8%	1%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$129,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Fairfield

$129,300

Jefferson County

$240,000

Alabama

$209,900

Housing Cost Burden

31.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

31.3%

Owners without a mortgage

6.8%

Renters

71.8%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Property value
Median Value	$129,300	$240,000	$209,900
Under $100,000	29.8%	17.5%	22.3%
$100,000 - $200,000	53.6%	23.9%	25.2%
$200,000 - $300,000	14.6%	19.4%	21.7%
$300,000 - $500,000	0.8%	23.5%	20.8%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0.5%	12.1%	8.3%
$1,000,000 and more	0.8%	3.8%	1.7%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	53.3%	59.9%	54.1%
Without a mortgage	46.7%	40.1%	45.9%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,192	$1,619	$1,433
Without a mortgage	$487	$533	$447
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,008	$1,193	$1,007

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

25.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Fairfield 25.4%

Jefferson County 36.2%

Alabama 28.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Fairfield 6.8%

Jefferson County 8.8%

Alabama 11.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,269

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

0.7%

K–12

65.5%

College / Undergraduate

29.8%

Graduate / Professional

4.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

60.9%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Fairfield

60.9%

Jefferson County

42.2%

Alabama

42.5%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,269	164,113	1,213,681
Nursery / preschool	0.7%	6.9%	5.9%
K–12	65.5%	66.5%	67.7%
Kindergarten	4.3%	5.9%	5.1%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	24.2%	19.4%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25.8%	20.2%	21.1%
High School: Grades 9–12	11.2%	21%	21.7%
College or graduate school	33.8%	26.7%	26.4%
College, undergraduate	29.8%	19.6%	21.4%
Graduate, professional school	4.1%	7.1%	5%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	60.9%	42.2%	42.5%
School type
Public school	77%	82.8%	83.6%
Private school	23%	17.2%	16.4%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

5,826

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

0.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.9%

HS graduate

32.5%

Some college no degree

24.3%

Associates degree

11.1%

Bachelors degree

16.1%

Graduate or professional degree

9.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

86.8% · 13.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

46% · 54%

HS graduate

49.4% · 50.6%

Some college no degree

40.6% · 59.4%

Associates degree

25% · 75%

Bachelors degree

39.3% · 60.7%

Graduate or professional degree

47.6% · 52.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Population (25+)	5,826	453,037	3,473,706
Less than 9th grade	0.9%	2.5%	3.6%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.9%	6.3%	7.8%
High school diploma or GED	32.5%	26.3%	30.3%
Some college, no degree	24.3%	20.5%	20.8%
Associate's degree	11.1%	8.2%	9.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.4%	36.2%	28.4%
Bachelor's degree	16.1%	21.4%	17.3%
Graduate or professional	9.3%	14.8%	11.1%
High School or higher	93.2%	91.2%	88.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$39,083

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$19,109

HS graduate

$40,000

Some college or associates

$36,231

Bachelors degree

$54,141

Graduate or professional degree

$70,596

Poverty Rate

13.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

42.2%

HS graduate

16.9%

Some college or associates

21.8%

Bachelors degree or higher

13.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Fairfield	Jefferson County	Alabama
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$39,083	$49,884	$46,831
Less than high school graduate	$19,109	$27,598	$30,696
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$40,000	$36,510	$37,156
Some college or associate's degree	$36,231	$41,921	$43,231
Bachelor's degree	$54,141	$63,328	$61,115
Graduate or professional degree	$70,596	$79,389	$75,030
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	42.2%	30.4%	28.8%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	16.9%	17.8%	16.1%
Some college or associate's degree	21.8%	13.2%	11.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.2%	4.9%	4.7%

Insights for Fairfield, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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