1st Advantage MortgageThe median Fairfield County household earns $90,966, and 8% of residents live below the poverty line. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Fairfield County by the numbers
- How Fairfield County residents earn a living
- Income in Fairfield County compared with Ohio
- What it costs to live in Fairfield County
- Fairfield County towns compared
- Fairfield County next to its neighbors
- Budget math at the Fairfield County median
- Before borrowing in Fairfield County
- Fairfield County households compared
- Steps before you apply in Fairfield County
- Licensing and complaints for Fairfield County
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Fairfield County by the numbers
Roughly 163,453 residents live in Fairfield County, Ohio, 19th by population among the state's 88 counties and county equivalents. Packed into 504 square miles, that is close to 324 residents for every square mile of land. It is one of the counties that make up the Columbus, OH metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). The Census Bureau counts 19 places in the county (16 incorporated, 3 census-designated); the largest is Lancaster, with about 41,249 residents, or 25% of the county.
How Fairfield County residents earn a living
The biggest employer of Fairfield County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 24% of workers, followed by retail trade (11%). Compared with Ohio, the county leans toward construction (8% against 6%). Averaged over the five survey years, 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking. About 76% drive to work alone and 17% have trips of 45 minutes or more. Only 4.1% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Sector | Fairfield County | Compared with Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.1% | -0.2 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.5% | +0.3 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 9.6% | -0.6 pts |
| Manufacturing | 8.8% | -5.9 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 8.4% | +1.8 pts |
| Construction | 8.3% | +2.3 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
Income in Fairfield County compared with Ohio
The median household income in Fairfield County is $90,966; statewide it is $71,389, so Fairfield County runs 27% above Ohio as a whole. That places it 6th among Ohio's 88 county-level areas.
| Yearly household income | Fairfield County | Gap to Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 16.7% | -7.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 37.9% | -3.7 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 33.4% | +7.9 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 12.0% | +2.9 pts |
Some 17% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 45% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 8.0%, 5 points lower than the state's 13.3%. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.416 (0 is perfect equality). For a borrower in Fairfield County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
What it costs to live in Fairfield County
Median gross rent, utilities included, comes to $1,172 in Fairfield County versus $1,034 statewide. 48% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 20% spend half or more. With a median value of $298,800, a typical Fairfield County house costs 3.3 times what the median household earns in a year. 75% of Fairfield County households own their home and 25% rent. Half the housing stock was built before 1984.
| Cost | Fairfield County | Ohio figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,172/mo | $1,034/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $298,800 | $214,800 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 75% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 48% | 46% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 23% | 21% | n/a |
Because most Fairfield County households own, home repairs are a frequent reason to borrow. An unsecured personal loan leaves the house out of the deal, while a HELOC uses it as collateral.
Fairfield County towns compared
The table lists the 14 largest of 19 Census places in Fairfield County, by population. Together all 19 hold about 91,303 people, so roughly 44% of residents live outside any named place. Canal Winchester has the highest median household income on the list ($131,209) and Amanda the lowest ($44,688), counting places with at least 500 residents. Rent is cheapest in Baltimore ($907) and steepest in Lithopolis ($1,912). Live in one of these Fairfield County communities, or between them? This is your local guide.
| Place in county | Status | Population (ACS) | Median HH income | Monthly rent | Distance from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | city | 41,249 | $59,133 | $1,083 | 2 mi |
| Pickerington | city | 24,477 | $111,833 | $1,605 | 12 mi |
| Canal Winchester | city | 10,170 | $131,209 | $1,692 | 12 mi |
| Baltimore | village | 3,050 | $59,769 | $907 | 7 mi |
| Lithopolis | village | 2,522 | $115,208 | $1,912 | 11 mi |
| Bremen | village | 2,001 | $61,078 | $991 | 11 mi |
| Fairfield Beach | CDP | 1,432 | $48,640 | $1,147 | 14 mi |
| Pleasantville | village | 908 | $66,731 | $981 | 7 mi |
| Millersport | village | 838 | $81,250 | $925 | 11 mi |
| Stoutsville | village | 647 | $74,500 | $1,000 | 14 mi |
| Hide-A-Way Hills | CDP | 646 | n/a | n/a | 11 mi |
| Thurston | village | 597 | $62,188 | $1,161 | 8 mi |
| Carroll | village | 595 | $74,688 | $947 | 6 mi |
| Amanda | village | 541 | $44,688 | $958 | 9 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
Fairfield County next to its neighbors
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Fairfield County's, from 19 to 35 miles away. Income ranges from $55,336 in Vinton County to $84,426 in Licking County; none of these neighbors top Fairfield County's median.
| Neighbor | Distance | Income | Rent | Own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County | - | $90,966 | $1,172/mo | 75% |
| Hocking County, OH | 19 mi | $62,960 | $808/mo | 79% |
| Perry County, OH | 21 mi | $67,460 | $777/mo | 76% |
| Pickaway County, OH | 24 mi | $74,040 | $1,020/mo | 74% |
| Licking County, OH | 25 mi | $84,426 | $1,078/mo | 74% |
| Franklin County, OH | 25 mi | $75,176 | $1,302/mo | 53% |
| Vinton County, OH | 35 mi | $55,336 | $728/mo | 76% |
Budget math at the Fairfield County median
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Fairfield County's medians:
- Median income divided by twelve: $7,580 before taxes
- Less median rent of $1,172, which is 15% of it
- $1,481: what a 35% ratio leaves once rent is paid
- 45% debt-to-income limit: $2,239 left for all other debt payments
Two-income households and single earners in Fairfield County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
Before borrowing in Fairfield County
A few patterns in the Fairfield County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Strong incomes, long terms. 45% of Fairfield County households earn $100,000+. The risk is a term that outlasts the need.
- Tight rental budgets. With 48% of Fairfield County renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
- Check your file. An error fixed before you apply can change the offers a Fairfield County borrower sees (free reports).
Fairfield County households compared
College graduates make up 32% of the adult population. The uninsured rate is 5.9%, against 6.4% for Ohio.
| Measure | Fairfield County | Ohio statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 | 39.7 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 32.3% | 31.5% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 6.0% | 8.2% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 5.9% | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.1% | 7.5% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 14.5% | 13.0% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 8.0% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 3.8% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Minutes to work | Fairfield County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 22.4% |
| 15 to 29 min | 32.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 28.1% |
| 45 to 59 min | 10.6% |
| 60+ min | 6.7% |
Steps before you apply in Fairfield County
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Price the Fairfield County expense first and borrow that amount, no more.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Ohio.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Licensing and complaints for Fairfield County
The Ohio Division of Financial Institutions is the place to verify any lender's Ohio license. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints nationwide. More on Ohio: Ohio personal loans.
Related local guides
The Ohio guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Fairfield County household make?
About $90,966 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24), 27% above the Ohio median.
Is Fairfield County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,172 against $1,034 statewide, and 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.
What are the biggest places in Fairfield County?
By population: Lancaster, Pickerington, Canal Winchester, Baltimore, Lithopolis. The county has 19 Census places in all.
Are Fairfield County applicants treated differently?
No. Everyone answers the same questions and is screened on the same objective points; lending partners set their own criteria under fair-lending laws.
Is there a Fairfield County office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In Ohio it is the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions.