What stands out worked out from the figures below

Marshall has the most affordable homes ($212k median).

Fairfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.1%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Marshall	Fairfield
People
Population	2,163Highest	1,938Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-7.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+8.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	37.5±2.8Lowest 4% below U.S.	42.3±2.7Highest 9% above U.S.
	Fairfield and Marshall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	27.6%±5.3Highest U.S.: 22%	25.4%±5Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Marshall and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	12.1%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	14.3%±1.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Fairfield and Marshall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	30.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.5%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Marshall and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$101,250±$32kHighest 25% above U.S.	$87,019±$22kLowest 8% above U.S.
	Marshall and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$212,400±$18kLowest 36% below U.S.	$320,600±$22kHighest 4% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,039±$151Lowest 26% below U.S.	$1,056±$441Highest 25% below U.S.
	Fairfield and Marshall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,595Lowest 15% above U.S.	$4,816Highest 54% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	26.5%±28.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	29.2%±20.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Fairfield and Marshall are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	88.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1963Lowest 17 yrs older than U.S.	1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 21% below U.S.	24 minHighest 8% below U.S.
Work from home	10.1%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	7.8%±3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Marshall and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	WATERVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	Maple Run Unified Union School District #57
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.