Town · Massachusetts
Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Fairhaven, town, in Bristol County, Massachusetts. Fairhaven had 16,110 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 15,924 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 15,903 (±42). GEOID 2500522130.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
16,110
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 15,924 · ACS 2020-2024: 15,903 ±42
Median household income
$95,965
±$19,128 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$446,700
±$19,104 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$1,118
±$79 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Fairhaven and what county is it in?
Fairhaven is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It covers 12.4 square miles of land, 1,286 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fairhaven is in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Fairhaven, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 16,110 people lived in Fairhaven on July 1, 2025, up 1.2% since 2020, slower than Massachusetts (+1.7%). The 2020 Census counted 15,924 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 15,903 (±42).
| Measure | Fairhaven | Bristol County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 15,903±42 | 582,270 | −142 |
| Households | 7,134±412 | 233,825 | +742 |
| Average household size | 2.19±0.12 | 2.43 | −0.26 |
| Housing units | 7,619±412 | 245,025 | no clear change |
Fairhaven's population since 2000
From 16,159 in 2000 to 16,110 in 2025: down 0.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Fairhaven as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Fairhaven?
The median resident of Fairhaven is 48.5 years old; 16.9% are under 18 and 24.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.9%. 5.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Fairhaven | Bristol County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.5±3.4 | 40.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.9%±2.7 pts | 20.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.9%±2.9 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Male | 46.6%±2.0 pts | 48.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.9%±1.6 pts | 10.2% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.6%±2.9 pts | 75.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.2 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0%±0.7 pts | 2.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.3%±1.3 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.0%±1.5 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.7%±1.3 pts | 13.6% | −3.2 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.0%±3.0 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.1%±1.6 pts | 5.2% | – |
| With a disability | 15.6%±2.4 pts | 14.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.0%±0.8 pts | 3.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.6%±2.1 pts | 86.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 32.5%±5.2 pts | 30.8% | +7.0 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.0%±1.9 pts | 11.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.7%±2.2 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7%±0.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Fairhaven earn?
Half of Fairhaven's 7,134 households earn less than $95,965 a year (±$19,128), against $85,625 in Bristol County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 it was $82,941 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Fairhaven | Bristol County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,965±$19,128 | $85,625 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $131,002±$24,220 | $111,532 | – |
| Per capita income | $59,221±$10,588 | $44,757 | +$16,223 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.3%±2.5 pts | 11.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 13.3%±8.0 pts | 14.7% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.0%±2.8 pts | 19.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.1%±3.2 pts | 94.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.1%±3.3 pts | 90.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Fairhaven?
Owners occupy 74.4% of Fairhaven's occupied homes and renters 25.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $446,700 by its owner (±$19,104). The median renter pays $1,118 a month including utilities, and 36.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Fairhaven | Bristol County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $446,700±$19,104 | $451,200 | +$100,875 |
| Median gross rent | $1,118±$79 | $1,245 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.8%±11.5 pts | 42.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,262±$139 | $2,394 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.4%±4.4 pts | 62.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.6%±4.4 pts | 37.7% | – |
| Housing units | 7,619±412 | 245,025 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.4%±0.7 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 68.6%±4.6 pts | 52.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.3%±0.6 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 40.0%±4.2 pts | 31.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.3%±3.2 pts | 9.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Fairhaven building?
Builders took permits for 10 new housing units in Fairhaven in 2025 (10 in single-family houses), 0.6 per 1,000 residents against 1.7 across Massachusetts.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Fairhaven work and get to work?
78.9% of Fairhaven's workers drive alone and 11.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.6%.
| Measure | Fairhaven | Bristol County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.1%±3.4 pts | 65.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6%±1.9 pts | 5.5% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 78.9%±3.8 pts | 74.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.4%±2.5 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.6%±0.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Walked | 1.2%±1.0 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.4%±3.2 pts | 11.1% | +6.8 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.5 min±3.7 | 28.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Fairhaven?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Fairhaven (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $65,950 (Tract 6552) to $117,154 (Tract 6551).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 6551Bristol County | 4,519 | $117,154 |
| Tract 6552Bristol County | 4,337 | $65,950 |
| Tract 6554Bristol County | 3,683 | $110,750 |
| Tract 6553Bristol County | 3,364 | $73,835 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Fairhaven) · Census block assignment files
How does Fairhaven compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Fairhaven is the 770th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 54th-most populous of 266 in Massachusetts.
Fairhaven ranks 302nd of 453 places in Massachusetts with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 54th | 266 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 172nd | 292 |
| Residents per square mile | 142nd | 461 |
| Median household income | 302nd | 453 |
| Per capita income | 189th | 460 |
| Median home value | 298th | 459 |
| Median gross rent | 351st | 410 |
| Poverty rate | 120th | 338 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 371st | 459 |
| Median age | 143rd | 461 |
| Owner-occupied share | 299th | 460 |
| Work from home | 345th | 429 |
| Travel time to work | 268th | 459 |
Fairhaven's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Fairhaven with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Fairhaven?
12 of the 57 figures for Fairhaven on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Fairhaven are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.