Fairmount, Illinois

Village in Vermilion County · population 612 (2020 Census)

Median home: $87,600
Household income: $60,500
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 84°
Snow a year: 24 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 31
Median age: 43.9

Fairmount is a village of 612 people in Vermilion County, Illinois. The median home is worth $87,600, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks quieter than 90% of Illinois towns, easier by car than 86% of Illinois towns, better for families than 72% of Illinois towns.

How Fairmount ranks

Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Fairmount is worth $87,600, below the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $60,500, which is more affordable than 93% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $783 a month. 79.4% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Fairmount	Typical Illinois town
Median home value	$87,600	$156,600
Median rent	$783	$960
Median household income	$60,500	$72,500
Home value ÷ income	1.4×	2.2×
Homeownership	79.4%	76.6%
Median year built	1959	1967
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Fairmount

People	Fairmount	Typical Illinois town
Median age	43.9	40.4
Age 65 and over	23.4%	18.7%
Under 18	21.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.6%	21.8%
Below the poverty line	13.1%	9.9%
Veterans	16.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.0%	—
Work from home	8.5%	8.9%
Average commute	25.6 min	26.1 min
Homes with broadband	87.1%	90.4%

Weather in Fairmount

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 17.2°F. About 40.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 23.7 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 23 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Sidell 4N station (5.4 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairmount since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 20, 1976 about 8.2 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 25 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 27 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 18, 2000.

Severe weather in Vermilion County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Vermilion County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Vermilion County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for tornado, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
August 15, 2023	Severe Storm	DR-4728: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 26, 2020	Biological	DR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3435: Covid-19
November 26, 2013	Tornado	DR-4157: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3230: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Vermilion County

Vermilion County had 25,748 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,579 a year. Unemployment was 5.8% in 2023; in Fairmount itself the ACS puts it at 3%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Fairmount

Oakwood, IL
5.3 mi · 1,325 people · home $103,000
Catlin, IL
6.6 mi · 1,983 people · home $124,700
Homer, IL
6.8 mi · 1,073 people · home $146,200
Ogden, IL
8.3 mi · 729 people · home $157,400
Westville, IL
10.1 mi · 3,167 people · home $100,000
Tilton, IL
10.5 mi · 2,660 people · home $70,400
Georgetown, IL
11.3 mi · 3,143 people · home $71,800
St. Joseph, IL
11.9 mi · 3,810 people · home $270,900

Fairmount questions

Is Fairmount, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fairmount scores better for retirees than 43% of Illinois towns and quieter than 90%. 23.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.9).

How much does a house cost in Fairmount?

The median owner-occupied home in Fairmount is valued at $87,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,500, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $783 a month.

What is the weather like in Fairmount?

July highs average 84.1°F and January lows 17.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.4 inches of precipitation a year and 23.7 inches of snow.

Does Fairmount get tornadoes?

31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairmount since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 20, 1976. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Fairmount's Census boundary (GEOID 1724985). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.