The Town Files

Fairfield, Wisconsin

Town in Sauk County · population 1,078 (2020 Census)

Map: where Fairfield is in WisconsinFairfield
Median home
$346,100
Household income
$84,828
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 83°
Snow a year
43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
18
Median age
47.6

Fairfield is a town of 1,078 people in Sauk County, Wisconsin. The median home is worth $346,100, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). It ranks easier by car than 88% of Wisconsin towns, more upscale than 77% of Wisconsin towns.

How Fairfield ranks

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

Fairfield lifestyle rankings vs other Wisconsin townsRetirement58th pctFamilies54th pctQuiet47th pctWalkability18th pctFirst-time buyers49th pctYoung professionals34th pctVibrancy8th pctHip & trendy43rd pctCollege town69th pctUpscale77th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling49th pctTransitbottomDriving88th 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 $346,100, above the typical Wisconsin town ($256,000). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $84,828, which is more affordable than 11% of Wisconsin towns. Median rent is $1,239 a month. 90.4% of households own their home.

Fairfield vs Sauk County vs typical Wisconsin townFairfieldSauk CountyTypical Wisconsin townHome value$346,100$258,600$256,000Household income$84,828$79,541$82,217Monthly rent$1,239$1,018$951
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Wisconsin towns with 500+ people.
HousingFairfieldTypical Wisconsin town
Median home value$346,100$256,000
Median rent$1,239$951
Median household income$84,828$82,217
Home value ÷ income4.1×3.1×
Homeownership90.4%86.8%
Median year built19861978
Seasonal / vacation homes4.6%—

Who lives in Fairfield

PeopleFairfieldTypical Wisconsin town
Median age47.645.1
Age 65 and over25.5%21.0%
Under 1824.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.6%23.8%
Below the poverty line11.5%7.2%
Veterans7.5%—
Born outside the U.S.0.3%—
Work from home5.1%10.9%
Average commute25.5 min24.6 min
Homes with broadband83.1%89.1%

Weather in Fairfield

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 9.6°F. About 38.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 42.7 inches of snow (typical Wisconsin town: 45.7 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 169 nights at or below freezing.

Fairfield monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing28°10°Jan32°13°Feb44°23°Mar57°34°Apr70°46°May79°56°Jun83°60°Jul81°58°Aug74°50°Sep61°38°Oct46°28°Nov33°17°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.411.31.410.12.25.94.22.64.35.64.84.53.92.90.42.22.11.710.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Baraboo station (6.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairfield since 1950, compared with 15 for the typical Wisconsin town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 15, 1966 about 1.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 14, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Fairfield by decade11950s31960s51970s31980s01990s32000s02010s32020s
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 43 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 15, 2025.

Severe weather in Sauk County since 1996

Storm events in Sauk County since 1996 by typeHail125Heat34Flood33Drought18Dense Fog63Heavy Rain13Flash Flood35Strong Wind30
NOAA Storm Events Database, Sauk County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 8 deaths recorded.

Sauk County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4923: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 4, 2020BiologicalDR-4520: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3454: Covid-19
October 18, 2018FloodDR-4402: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides
June 14, 2008Severe StormDR-1768: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Sauk County

Sauk County had 36,498 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,177 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Fairfield itself the ACS puts it at 0.2%.

Largest industries in Sauk CountyHotels & restaurants7,525 jobs · $28,241Manufacturing5,361 jobs · $61,437Retail5,015 jobs · $31,426Health care & social assistan…4,061 jobs · $67,311Construction2,024 jobs · $74,774Professional & technical serv…1,267 jobs · $69,534
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Sauk County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Sauk 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Fairfield

Fairfield questions

Is Fairfield, Wisconsin a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fairfield scores better for retirees than 58% of Wisconsin towns and quieter than 47%. 25.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.6).

How much does a house cost in Fairfield?

The median owner-occupied home in Fairfield is valued at $346,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $84,828, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $1,239 a month.

What is the weather like in Fairfield?

July highs average 82.8°F and January lows 9.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.9 inches of precipitation a year and 42.7 inches of snow.

Does Fairfield get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fairfield since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 15, 1966. The typical Wisconsin town has had 15.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Fairfield's Census boundary (GEOID 5511124900). Comparisons use the median of Wisconsin 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.