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Cost of living, pay and housing

38.65° N · 90.10° W · GEOID 1724933

Fairmont City

Madison County, Illinois · part of the St. Louis, MO metro

Limited data population under 5,000

IllinoisFairmont City, ILFairmont CityFairmont City

The short answer

Fairmont City is home to 2,492 people. Median household income is $48,147 a year and median rent is $1,084 a month, 27.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $71,200, about 1.5x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,084
21% below the median place
Median household income
$48,147
40% below the median place
Median home value
$71,200
78% below the median place
Unemployment
4.6%
6% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Fairmont City

  • The median home is valued at $71,200, less than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 335 Illinois places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $101 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 96% of places its size.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $35,700 a year left, less than in 94% of places its size.
  • 33.8% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 97% of places its size.
  • The population has fallen 4.8% since 2020, a steeper drop than in 94% of places its size.
01

Moving to Fairmont City

Madison County gains about 1.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in9,193
Moved out8,800
Net+393

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Illinois, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IllinoisOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$57K
Leavers$60K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Madison County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Madison County report $56,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $59,500, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$43,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,084 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $983 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $71,200.
Getting to work
17 minutes each way on average; 12.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
West Pensacola, FL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in8
$56,633
20% below the median place
Income of households moving out8
$59,546
15% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureFairmont CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.4%23% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure1.8above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$56,63320% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$59,54615% below
02

What it costs to live here

Median home value is $71,200, 78% below the median place.

Fairmont City27.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$43,360
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
27.0%
32% above the median place
Home price to income
1.5x
61% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
27%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$35,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Fairmont City, $1,084 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Fairmont City, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Vernon, TX22.2% vs 27.0%n/aCompare
Chester, SC23.5% vs 27.0%$600Compare
North Vernon, IN21.9% vs 27.0%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Fairmont City.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Fairmont City? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$71,200
78% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$983
47% below the median place
Median year built1
1952
1% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureFairmont CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,08421% below
Rent to income127.0%32% above
Property tax rate11.6%70% above
Home price to income11.5x61% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.16% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34916% below
HUD area median income4County figure$113,5006% above
Property tax paid (median)1$1,10266% below
Median home value1$71,20078% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.7%110% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure47.0%9% below
Homeownership178.7%18% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure46.6%8% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$98347% below
Vacant homes115.5%120% above
Median year built119521% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
33.8%
213% above the median place
Income per person1
$23,504
41% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute17 min −32%
Median household income$48,147 −40%
Works from home12.0% −3%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureFairmont CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$48,14740% below
Income per person1$23,50441% below
Unemployment1County figure4.6%6% below
Average annual pay6County figure$59,9119% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.8%30% above
Jobs6County figure107,51729% below
Poverty rate133.8%213% above
Mean commute117 min32% below
Works from home112.0%3% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 76.2%, 17% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
76.2%
17% below the median place
High school or higher1
68.6%
26% below the median place
Population change since 20207
-4.8%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher13.2% −59%
No health insurance12.6% +97%
Born abroad22.3% 2.5×
Household size2.8 +13%
Median age38.9 −0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureFairmont CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,4926646th largest
Population change since 20207-4.8%below (median 1.1%)
Median age138.90% below
Bachelor's or higher113.2%59% below
High school or higher168.6%26% below
Household size12.813% above
Born abroad122.3%152% above
No health insurance112.6%97% above
Homes with broadband176.2%17% below
05

Life in Fairmont City

46 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents24.1 2.4×
Playgrounds per 10k16.1 +71%
Grocery stores per 10k4.0 +89%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k32.1 2.9×
Libraries per 10k4.0 4.6×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi3.5 16.9×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.5 +8%
Shops27.9 −8%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.5 +10%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.0 −6%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
83
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
35,174
above the median place (median 4,897)
Child care centers per 10k9
1.9
17% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureFairmont CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure83above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure35,174above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure15.21% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure22.58% above
Shops per 10k9County figure27.98% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.510% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure19.06% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k1024.1137% above
Playgrounds per 10k1016.171% above
Grocery stores per 10k104.089% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1032.1188% above
Libraries per 10k104.0361% above
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi103.5above (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure46254% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 14.8, 76% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Fairmont City. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
14.8
76% below the median place
Tornado risk14
97.6
20% above the median place
Heat wave risk14
98.0
9% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureFairmont CityAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure88°F1% above
January average low13County figure22°F11% below
Average temperature13County figure56°F1% above
Annual precipitation13County figure42.3 in3% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure93.41% above
Hurricane risk14County figure32.754% below
Tornado risk14County figure97.620% above
Wildfire risk14County figure14.876% below
Heat wave risk14County figure98.09% above
Median air quality index15County figure4914% above
Good air days15County figure52.3%24% below
08

Fairmont City in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 27% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 27% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,084/mo (2024)$1,390/mo$1,140 to $1,700/mo+4.3%
Median household income$48,147 (2024)$61,000$51,500 to $72,000+4.0%
Median home value$71,200 (2024)$96,000$70,000 to $133,000+5.1%
Population2,154 (2025)2,1202,030 to 2,210−0.3%

The median home would be worth 1.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Fairmont City

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
West Pensacola, FL$1,138$40,511Compare
Garfield Heights, OH$1,129$54,593Compare
Flowing Wells, AZ$1,034$39,774Compare
Vernon, TX$945$51,114Compare
Vernon, TXFlowing Wells, AZGarfield Heights, OHWest Pensacola, FLFairmont City, ILFairmont CityWest PensacolaGarfield HeightsFlowing WellsVernonFairmont CityWest PensacolaGarfield HeightsFlowing WellsVernon

Common questions

Is Fairmont City a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median home is valued at $71,200, less than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 335 Illinois places. Owning with a mortgage costs about $101 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 96% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 58 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Fairmont City expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 27.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $71,200.

What salary do you need to live in Fairmont City?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $43,360 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Fairmont City?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are West Pensacola, FL, Garfield Heights, OH, Flowing Wells, AZ and Vernon, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Fairmont City with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Fairmont City itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/fairmont-city-illinois

Citytistics. “Fairmont City, Illinois.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/fairmont-city-illinois/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.