Fairfield is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Franklin County,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, United States, chartered in 1763. The population was 2,044 at the 2020 census. President Chester A. Arthur was born in Fairfield in 1829, and lived there for the first three years of his life. A replica of his home, the Chester Alan Arthur State Historic Site, is open seasonally.

Geography

Fairfield occupies central Franklin County, east of St. Albans. Vermont Route 36 crosses the town from east to west. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.61%, is water. The town is drained by Black Creek, a north-flowing tributary of the

Missisquoi River The Missisquoi River is a transboundary river of the east shore of Lake Champlain (via Missisquoi Bay), approximately long, in northern Vermont in the United States and southern Quebec in Canada. It drains a rural area of the northern Green Moun ...

. Fairfield Pond is in the town's northwest corner. The town's rolling hills are used for growing hay, corn, and pasture for dairy farms. Many maple trees in the town's forests are tapped for

maple syrup Maple syrup is a sweet syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Ma ...

production.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, 2,044 people, 781 households, and 585 families resided in Farifield. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 30.3 people per square mile (11.7/km²). There were 779 occupied housing units at an average density of 11.6 per square mile (4.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.68% Native American, 0.15% Asian, and 0.15%

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, with an additional 5.72% identifying as being of two or more races. Those identifying as

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population. The population by age broke down as 23.3% under age 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% age 65 or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 109 males; and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.6 males. The median income for a household was $93,618, and the median income for a family was $99,471. Approximately 24% of households had income above $150,000, while 26% had income below $50,000. About 3.8% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 or older, 92.4% were high school graduates and 37.7% had a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

or higher. Among bachelors degrees held by those over age 25, 55.9% were in science, engineering, and related fields, 18.2% were in education, 10.0% were in business, and 15.9% were in arts, humanities, and other areas.

2000 census

The

of 2000 reported that 1,800 people, 620 households, and 486 families resided in the town. The

was 26.6 people per square mile (10.3/km²). There were 768 housing units at an average density of 11.3 per square mile (4.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.00%

, 0.89% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.17%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.28% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population. There were 620 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.23. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,219, and the median income for a family was $48,542. Males had a median income of $31,756 versus $24,258 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $17,307. About 5.9% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the

, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Chester A. Arthur, 21st

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

* Consuelo Northrop Bailey, second female lieutenant governor of a U.S. state * Bradley Barlow, U.S. congressman * Jeptha Bradley, Vermont Auditor of Accounts * John Fitzpatrick, mayor of New Orleans * Charles Shattuck Hill, editor

References

External links

Town of Fairfield official website

Fairfield Historical Society website
{{authority control Towns in Vermont Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area Towns in Franklin County, Vermont