Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety96#41/924
Economy50#464/925
Housing40#555/925
Health75#236/925
Healthcare89#100/923
Environment89#101/917
Education68#300/925
Infrastructure43#532/925
Community95#49/925
Leisure & amenities90#96/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fairmont, MN micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Social associations · high18.8 /10k
98/100Minnesota 12.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low8.9%
97/100Minnesota 12.6%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public libraries · high2.0 /10k
96/100Minnesota 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Job growth · high3.0%
96/100Minnesota -0.3%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
High school diploma or higher · high95.2%
94/100Minnesota 93.9%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Restaurants and bars · high14.4 /10k
94/100Minnesota 8.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high42.0%
4/100Minnesota 29.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.0 /1k
9/100Minnesota 12.7 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · low0.6 /1k
10/100Minnesota 3.9 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Mental health providers · low107 /100k
12/100Minnesota 383 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high113 mi
14/100Minnesota 32 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · high105 mi
15/100Minnesota 43 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
43% (2021) → 15% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−28 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Child care cost burdenWorsening
21.2% (2020 & 2021) → 42.1% (2023 & 2024)
+21 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Traffic deathsWorsening
7.1 /100k (2015-2019) → 12.1 /100k (2020-2024)
+72%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
38.7% (2015-2019) → 50.9% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New business applicationsImproving
5.1 /1k (2020) → 8.0 /1k (2025)
+58%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Violent crime rateImproving
225 /100k (2020) → 112 /100k (2025)
−50%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Fairmont, MN micropolitan area improved on 10 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 6 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Restaurants+37%10.5 /10k → 14.4 /10k
Violent crime−50%225 /100k → 112 /100k
Uninsured−1.9 points7.3% → 5.4%
New businesses+58%5.1 /1k → 8.0 /1k
Real income+34%$56,664 → $75,804

Declined7

Traffic deaths+72%7.1 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Overdose deaths+69%6.4 /100k → 10.8 /100k
Rent burden+12 points38.7% → 50.9%
Rent / income+4.6 points25.7% → 30.3%
Arts & recreation−19%7.0 /10k → 5.7 /10k

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Fairmont, MN micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	7.0 /10k2020	5.7 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	6%
Average commute time	16.6 min2015-2019	16.9 min2020-2024	+0.3 min	Within the margin of error	54%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.5%2015-2019	23.8%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Improved	62%
Broadband subscriptions	78.9%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	+7.4 points	Improved	29%
Child poverty rate	18.9%2015-2019	13.9%2020-2024	−5 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Distance to an airport	105 mi2020	105 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	6.4 /100k2020	10.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+69%	Declined	6%
Effective property tax rate	1.01%2015-2019	1.00%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Firearm deaths	9.2 /100k2020	11.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+20%	Declined	25%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+2.9%	Little change	61%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.5 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+2.9%	Little change	50%
High school diploma or higher	93.2%2015-2019	95.2%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	42%
Income adjusted for local prices	$56,6642019	$75,8042024	+34%	Improved	64%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4342015-2019	0.4552020-2024	+0.020	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$52,7982015-2019	$59,5072020-2024	+13%	Improved	3%
New business applications	5.1 /1k2020	8.0 /1k2025	+58%	Improved	67%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+2.9%	Little change	80%
Poverty rate	13.7%2015-2019	13.1%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Property crime rate	1,105 /100k2020	782 /100k2025	−29%	Improved	40%
Public libraries	2.0 /10k2019	2.0 /10k2024	+0.4%	Little change	66%
Rent as share of income	25.7%2015-2019	30.3%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Declined	4%
Rent-burdened households	38.7%2015-2019	50.9%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	2%
Restaurants and bars	10.5 /10k2020	14.4 /10k2025	+37%	Improved	99%
Traffic deaths	7.1 /100k2015-2019	12.1 /100k2020-2024	+72%	Declined	2%
Unemployment rate	5.3%2020	4.0%2025	−1.3 points	Improved	8%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.3%2015-2019	5.4%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Improved	84%
Violent crime rate	225 /100k2020	112 /100k2025	−50%	Improved	94%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Fairmont, MN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fairmont, MN micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Fairmont, MN micropolitan area itself moved −7.2 points in standing on average over the same 29 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

19,780 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

8,839 households (±250)

Fairmont, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k18%1,550
$25k–50k24%2,155
$50k–75k17%1,483

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

8,839 households (±250)

Fairmont, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Own69%6,090
Rent31%2,749

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−4.9 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

9,307 workers (±276)

Fairmont, MN micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone80%7,441
Carpool6.1%566
Public transit0.2%†14

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Fairmont, MN micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Fairmont, MN has 597 employer establishments, 303 for every 10,000 residents (1.22× the US rate of 248), with 7,402 paid employees at an average annual pay of $56,813. The Census Bureau also counts 1,539 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 597; 1,539 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 303; US 248
Paid employees: 7,402
Average annual pay: $56,813; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Fairmont, MN by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	42	21.3	1.02×About typical	727	$86,534	28
Restaurants and other eating places	28	14.2	0.77×Fewer than typical	509	$16,507	7
Specialty trade contractors	27	13.7	0.88×About typical	176	$77,778	133
Religious organizations	25	12.7	2.28×More than typical	137	$20,051	—
Truck transportation	22	11.2	2.21×More than typical	101	$51,069	88
Offices of other health practitioners	21	10.6	1.75×More than typical	73	$39,959	9
Insurance agencies and brokerages	20	10.1	2.31×More than typical	91	$86,132	33
Automotive repair and maintenance	17	8.6	1.71×More than typical	74	$32,041	28
Banks and credit unions	15	7.6	2.35×More than typical	150	$83,087	—
Full-service restaurants	15	7.6	0.99×About typical	272	$16,371	—
Construction of buildings	14	7.1	0.94×About typical	47	$54,489	44
Services to buildings and dwellings	12	6.1	0.90×About typical	42	$29,667	94

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 19,727 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated -$4,875 on contracts performed in Fairmont, MN micropolitan area: -$0.25 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: -$4,875
Per resident: -$0.25; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

PESTMASTER SERVICES, L.P.-$4,8750.0%

Spending by fiscal year

400FY2017
425FY2018
108.7KFY2020
103.1KFY2021
4.8KFY2022
21.9KFY2023
-2.6KFY2024
-4.9KFY2026

What was bought

Largest awards

FY2021 SP FOR PEST CONTROL FOR RCF POINT REYES SITES.$6,825
PESTMASTER SERVICES, L.P.· Martin County, MN· Facilities & utilities· Oct 1, 2020 – Feb 5, 2026· 70Z03121PPBA01100

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $166M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Fairmont, MN micropolitan area: $8,539 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $166M; −7.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,539; US $12,955
Loan face value: $5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 17%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$100.9M61%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$23.8M14%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$10.5M6.3%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$8.9M5.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$8.8M5.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$2.6M1.6%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$2.5M1.5%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$1.6M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$2.4M1.4%
SAINT PAUL, MN
FAIRMONT HOUSING AUTH$445K0.3%
FAIRMONT, MN
FAIRMONT TOWNHOUSES A MINNESOTA LP$416.5K0.3%
FAIRMONT, MN
KRUEGER RLTY INC$97.4K0.1%
FAIRMONT, MN
TRIMONT HOUSING INVESTORS, LLC$88.2K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$122.8M74%
Farm Service Agency$26.4M16%
Department of Agriculture
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$10.7M6.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$2.4M1.4%
Department of Transportation
Natural Resources Conservation Service

Assistance by fiscal year

156.1MFY2021
157.4MFY2022
129.1MFY2023
148.9MFY2024
180.2MFY2025
166MFY2026

County aggregates

81%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Fairmont, MN

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Martin CountyCentral county8819,440

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

FairmontPrincipal city10,296

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Minnesota

Areas based in Minnesota, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Mankato, MN93

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M21860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Fairmont, MN micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Fairmont, MN

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Minnesota

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Largest awards

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type