Fairbury is a city of 3,713 people in Illinois. The median age is 33.5, younger than the US median of 38.9. The foreign-born share is 1%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $162,200. The poverty rate is 2.1%, under the national 12.5%. The average commute runs 15 minutes.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $70,962, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Fairbury
What changed most since 1990
White share97.4% → 93.7%(−3.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age35.6 → 33.5(−2.1 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Median home value (2024 dollars)$115,203 → $162,200(+41%)US over the same years: +67%
Fairbury's population equals 10% of Livingston County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 2.1% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 5.6% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)14.8%(19)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)0%(0)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era52.3%(67)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 128 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Fairbury, decade by decade
Fairbury population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
3,643
$75,650
$115,203
11.6%
6.4
2000
3,968
$75,231
$154,841
15.4%
10.0
2010
3,757
$72,059
$158,243
17.1%
13.8
2020
3,633
$69,769
$145,202
15.5%
18.1
2024
3,713
$70,962
$162,200
29.3%
15.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
