Fairburn, South Dakota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 61, Fairburn's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Fairburn is a small community located in South Dakota, within Custer County. The total population is 61. It ranks as the 363rd most populous out of 439 Census-designated places in South Dakota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fairburn is 46.9 years. This is 23% higher than the state median of 38.0 years. Only 13.1% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Fairburn is $41,250. This is 45% lower than the state median of $75,081. It is also 49% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Fairburn. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 10.3%. This is 250% higher than the state rate of 2.9%. The median home value is $85,000. Housing costs are 67% lower than the state median of $257,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Fairburn is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 70.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 68.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Fairburn is White (non-Hispanic), making up 65.6% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 11.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (11.5% vs 4.8%).

Education

7.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 76% lower than the state rate of 31.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Fairburn, South Dakota is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against South Dakota state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 439 Census-designated places in South Dakota. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.