Fairfield is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, home to about 9,456 people across 6.6 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 52556 and 52557.
Homes sold for a median of $131 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Fairfield; also Maharishi Vedic City
All in Fairfield
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Fairfield. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Fairfield’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)95 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL)46 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Louis, MO187 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL229 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Fairfield; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Fairfield had 9,416 residents in the 2020 census, down 1% since 2000.
It’s the 45th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Jefferson County grew from 17,437 residents in 1900 to 15,663 in 2020.
Jefferson County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 38.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 22 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fairfield, IA weather station (about a mile away).
6,922 jobs at 608 businesses in Jefferson County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
122 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Fairfield’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 17 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 9 |
| Dentists | 10 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 15 |
| Mental health providers | 39 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 19 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 8 |
| Pharmacies | 7 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (12 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1839.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Fairfield Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington ElementaryFairfield | Pre-K–1 | 239 | Public | 0.1 mi |
| Pence ElementaryFairfield | 2–4 | 317 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Fairfield Middle SchoolFairfield | 5–8 | 410 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Fairfield High SchoolFairfield | 9–12 | 442 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maharishi SchoolFairfield | Pre-K–12 | 125 | Nonsectarian | 0.9 mi |
| Singing Cedars SchoolFairfield | K–3 | 41 | Nonsectarian | 1.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Maharishi Vedic City.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.