The Town Files

Fairfield, New Jersey

Township in Cumberland County · population 5,546 (2020 Census)

Fairfield, New Jersey
Photo: Smallbones (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$185,200
Household income
$60,929
Jan low / Jul high
25° / 86°
Snow a year
12 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
37.8

Fairfield is a township of 5,546 people in Cumberland County, New Jersey. The median home is worth $185,200, below the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). It ranks more seaside character than 87% of New Jersey towns, better for cycling than 72% of New Jersey towns.

Map: where Fairfield is in New JerseyFairfield
Fairfield in our rankings:

How Fairfield ranks

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

Fairfield lifestyle rankings vs other New Jersey townsRetirement6th pctFamilies9th pctQuiet67th pctWalkability9th pctFirst-time buyers29th pctYoung professionals6th pctVibrancy6th pctHip & trendy16th pctCollege town18th pctUpscale2nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character87th pctCycling72nd pctTransit28th pctDriving66th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Fairfield is worth $185,200, below the typical New Jersey town ($435,600). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $60,929, which is more affordable than 81% of New Jersey towns. Median rent is $1,338 a month. 79.0% of households own their home.

Fairfield vs Cumberland County vs typical New Jersey townFairfieldCumberland CountyTypical New Jersey townHome value$185,200$221,400$435,600Household income$60,929$67,436$111,891Monthly rent$1,338$1,282$1,774
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Jersey towns with 500+ people.
HousingFairfieldTypical New Jersey town
Median home value$185,200$435,600
Median rent$1,338$1,774
Median household income$60,929$111,891
Home value ÷ income3.0×3.8×
Homeownership79.0%80.8%
Median year built19701969
Seasonal / vacation homes0.3%—

Who lives in Fairfield

PeopleFairfieldTypical New Jersey town
Median age37.842.7
Age 65 and over13.2%18.3%
Under 1819.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher9.8%44.1%
Below the poverty line10.3%5.7%
Veterans6.2%—
Born outside the U.S.6.1%—
Work from home5.3%16.3%
Average commute24.6 min30.4 min
Homes with broadband86.9%94.6%

Weather in Fairfield

July highs average 86.2°F and January lows 25.0°F. About 47.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 11.8 inches of snow (typical New Jersey town: 24.5 in). Expect about 25 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 87 nights at or below freezing.

Fairfield monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing41°25°Jan44°27°Feb51°33°Mar63°42°Apr73°52°May82°62°Jun86°67°Jul84°65°Aug78°59°Sep67°47°Oct56°38°Nov46°30°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.43.92.73.64.61.83.70.23.64.44.64.94.34.03.20.14.42.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Seabrook Farms station (8.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairfield since 1950, compared with 9 for the typical New Jersey town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 13, 1975 about 8.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 16, 1995.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Fairfield by decade01950s01960s21970s11980s21990s02000s02010s02020s
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 12 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 22, 2014.

Severe weather in Cumberland County since 1996

Storm events in Cumberland County since 1996 by typeHeat67Flood31Drought38Dense Fog34High Wind45Heavy Rain90Heavy Snow30Flash Flood31
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cumberland County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Cumberland County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 5, 2021HurricaneDR-4614: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
September 2, 2021HurricaneEM-3573: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
December 11, 2020HurricaneDR-4574: Tropical Storm Isaias
March 25, 2020BiologicalDR-4488: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3451: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Cumberland County

Cumberland County had 59,688 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,729 a year. Unemployment was 6.5% in 2023; in Fairfield itself the ACS puts it at 9.2%.

Largest industries in Cumberland CountyHealth care & social assistan…10,763 jobs · $61,163Manufacturing8,268 jobs · $67,756Retail7,550 jobs · $38,957Wholesale trade3,624 jobs · $63,008Hotels & restaurants3,350 jobs · $23,986Administrative & support3,159 jobs · $38,315
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cumberland County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Cumberland 6.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Fairfield

Fairfield questions

Is Fairfield, New Jersey a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fairfield scores better for retirees than 6% of New Jersey towns and quieter than 67%. 13.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.8).

How much does a house cost in Fairfield?

The median owner-occupied home in Fairfield is valued at $185,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,929, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,338 a month.

What is the weather like in Fairfield?

July highs average 86.2°F and January lows 25.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.7 inches of precipitation a year and 11.8 inches of snow.

Does Fairfield get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairfield since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 13, 1975. The typical New Jersey town has had 9.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Fairfield's Census boundary (GEOID 3401122350). Comparisons use the median of New Jersey 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.