Fairfield is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. It has a population of 9,416 people, according to the 2020 census. Fairfield is an international center for Transcendental Meditation, the home of Maharishi International University. It became the county seat in 1839 with 110 residents and grew to 650 by 1847. Its library was established in 1853, and it held its first fair in 1854. Early architecture in Fairfield includes work by George Franklin Barber and Barry Byrne.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Fairfield ranks

All →

#2Most remote workers in IA #13Most educated in IA #16Shortest commute in IA All IA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code52556, 52557

Area code641

Living in Fairfield

Housing in Fairfield

$158K▲ 1.3% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Fairfield home is worth about $158,000, up 1.3% in a year, 34% below the Iowa typical home.

A balanced market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market68

Sale-to-list94.8%

Sold in May12

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Fairfield

B⁺

Safety Grade B+

Fairfield reports less crime per resident than 70% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Fairfield 1.3

Iowa 2.4

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Fairfield 6.3

Iowa 12

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Fairfield

Full picture →

50% of Fairfield’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Ottumwa (3%), Des Moines (3%) and Mount Pleasant (2%). Half commute less than 2 miles.

Ottumwa

Des Moines

Mount Pleasant

West Des Moines

50%Work in townlive and work in Fairfield 2 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 5,047Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Fairfield →

Health in Fairfield

C⁺

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 39% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 75% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Iowa

3better than IA·11worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 18 are too close to call.

Conditions 9▼ 3 close Habits all close Care 3▲ 4 close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

81.3%More adults getting a yearly checkupIA 77.5% · better 81%More adults treating high blood pressureIA 77.8% · better 8.6%More adults with heart diseaseIA 6.6% · worse

Care nearby

Jefferson County Health CenterFairfield · 1.4 mi · ER · rural critical access

Rhchc - Jefferson County ClinicFairfield · 1.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Fairfield · CMS · HRSAHealth in Fairfield →

Natural hazards in Fairfield

Very low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 17% of U.S. communities.

🌡️ Heat waves🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes

0Does Fairfield flood?no paid flood claims on record 1Disasters that paid out herefederal disaster sent FEMA money to Fairfield

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Fairfield →

Climate in Fairfield

Full climate →

Fairfield has cold winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

35° / 17°Winter

61° / 40°Spring

83° / 62°Summer

63° / 42°Fall

How much snow does Fairfield get?About 22 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 12, with the last in spring around Apr 27.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.3° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Fairfield →

Schools in Fairfield

All Fairfield schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Fairfield’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 70% of Iowa’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

See how Fairfield’s schools compare in IA →

DistrictFairfield Comm School DistrictSchools5

Pence Elementary C-Elementary · Grades 2–4 · 317 students Washington ElementaryElementary · Grades PK–1 · 239 students Fairfield Middle School B-Middle · Grades 5–8 · 410 students Fairfield High School CHigh · Grades 9–12 · 442 students Maharishi SchoolOther · Grades PK–12 · 148 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within IA. Ratings are from neighbors.