The Town FilesFairchance, Pennsylvania
Borough in Fayette County · population 1,890 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $169,100
- Household income
- $39,767
- Jan low / Jul high
- 21° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 28 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 8
- Median age
- 55.8
Fairchance is a borough of 1,890 people in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $169,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 80% of Pennsylvania towns, better transit than 71% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Fairchance ranks
Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Fairchance is worth $169,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $39,767, which is more affordable than 5% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $685 a month. 55.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fairchance | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $169,100 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $685 | $996 |
| Median household income | $39,767 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.3× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 55.2% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1960 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Fairchance
| People | Fairchance | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.8 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.3% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 9.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 23.2% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 3.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 1.7% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 75.4% | 89.0% |
Weather in Fairchance
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 21.4°F. About 44.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 28.1 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 129 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairchance since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 2, 1998 about 7.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 16, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on April 14, 1984.
Severe weather in Fayette County since 1996
Fayette County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| March 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| October 1, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Fayette County
Fayette County had 37,892 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,069 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in 2023; in Fairchance itself the ACS puts it at 5.6%.
Public schools in Fairchance
1 public school with 357 students, about 13.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| A L Wilson El Sch | K-5 | 357 | 13.7 |
Towns near Fairchance
- Georges, PA2.6 mi · 6,346 people · home $148,500
- Smithfield, PA3.3 mi · 831 people · home $173,200
- South Union, PA3.6 mi · 10,890 people · home $209,300
- Leith-Hatfield, PA3.8 mi · 2,672 people · home $296,700
- Hopwood, PA4.5 mi · 2,062 people · home $190,600
- South Uniontown, PA4.8 mi · 1,325 people · home $150,300
- Uniontown, PA5.4 mi · 9,984 people · home $87,700
- East Uniontown, PA5.7 mi · 2,271 people · home $114,800
Fairchance questions
Is Fairchance, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fairchance scores better for retirees than 18% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 42%. 26.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.8).
How much does a house cost in Fairchance?
The median owner-occupied home in Fairchance is valued at $169,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $39,767, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $685 a month.
What is the weather like in Fairchance?
July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 21.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.4 inches of precipitation a year and 28.1 inches of snow.
Does Fairchance get tornadoes?
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairchance since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 2, 1998. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- 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)