The typical owner-occupied home in Fairfax is worth about $62,100, 76% below the South Dakota median of $257,400 and 81% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,053 a year in property taxes, about 1.70% of their home's value, higher than the South Dakota rate of 1.06%. The median household earns $72,656 a year, so the median home costs 0.9 times the median income (3.4 times for South Dakota). 83% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 16% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Fairfax at a glance
| Fairfax | South Dakota | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $62,100 | $257,400 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,053 | $2,724 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 1.70% | 1.06% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $72,656 | $75,081 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 83% | 69% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 16% | 54% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $940 | $1,680 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 9.0% | 20.4% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | – | $946 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 26.4% | 25.9% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1979 | 1980 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 18.1% | 10.5% | 10.1% |
| Population | 119 | 907,428 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Fairfax
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Fairfax home of $62,100 with 20% down costs about $448 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $552, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.
Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $19,202 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 7% of the median Fairfax household income of $72,656; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $235,000.
| Down payment | $12,420 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $49,680 |
| Principal and interest | $334 |
| Property taxes (1.70% a year) | $88 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $26 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $448 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $2,174 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $60,975 |
| Principal and interest | $410 |
| Property taxes (1.70% a year) | $88 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $26 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $27 |
| Total per month | $552 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Fairfax
What is the median home value in Fairfax?
About $62,100 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Fairfax?
Homeowners pay a median $1,053 a year, which is about 1.70% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
What income do you need to buy a home in Fairfax?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $448 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $19,202 a year.
More about Fairfax
- Mortgage Refinance in Fairfax
- Debt Relief in Fairfax
- Home Equity Loans in Fairfax
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data