Census-designated place · Michigan
Fair Plain, Michigan
Fair Plain, census-designated place, in Berrien County, Michigan. Fair Plain had 7,330 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±688). GEOID 2627160.
Residents, 2020-2024
7,330
±688 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 7,402
Median household income
$52,817
±$8,548 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$169,400
±$14,023 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$1,019
±$129 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Fair Plain and what county is it in?
Fair Plain is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Berrien County, Michigan. It covers 4.3 square miles of land, 1,723 residents per square mile in 2020.
Fair Plain is in the Niles, MI metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Fair Plain lies mostly within Benton Charter Township and reaches into St. Joseph Charter Township, towns or townships with their own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Fair Plain, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Fair Plain's population at 7,330 (±688). The 2020 Census counted 7,402 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Fair Plain is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Fair Plain | Berrien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 7,330 ±688 | 153,288 | no clear change |
| Households | 3,295 ±269 | 63,999 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.22 ±0.17 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 3,531 ±277 | 77,276 | no clear change |
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 Fair Plain?
The median resident of Fair Plain is 40.9 years old; 19.6% are under 18 and 17.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 48.1%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 37.6%. 5.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Fair Plain | Berrien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 ±6.0 | 42.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.6% ±3.9 pts | 21.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.1% ±2.6 pts | 21.3% | – |
| Male | 47.5% ±2.8 pts | 49.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.5% ±2.7 pts | 6.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 48.1% ±5.0 pts | 72.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 37.6% ±5.0 pts | 13.1% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±0.9 pts | 1.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.5% ±3.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±0.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.5% ±2.3 pts | 5.5% | +3.6 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.3% ±2.7 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.6% ±2.0 pts | 6.1% | – |
| With a disability | 15.3% ±3.0 pts | 14.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.1% ±5.1 pts | 6.4% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.4% ±3.9 pts | 92.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.8% ±4.7 pts | 30.9% | +7.7 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.4% ±2.7 pts | 12.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.4% ±4.6 pts | 89.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.3% ±1.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
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 Fair Plain earn?
Half of Fair Plain's 3,295 households earn less than $52,817 a year (±$8,548), against $65,425 in Berrien County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $47,374 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 26.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Fair Plain | Berrien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,817 ±$8,548 | $65,425 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $63,961 ±$6,414 | $89,826 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,846 ±$3,145 | $38,351 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 26.6% ±7.6 pts | 15.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 29.8% ±15.8 pts | 22.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 22.3% ±6.4 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.5% ±2.2 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.1% ±3.3 pts | 89.3% | – |
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 Fair Plain?
Owners occupy 69.8% of Fair Plain's occupied homes and renters 30.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $169,400 by its owner (±$14,023). The median renter pays $1,019 a month including utilities, and 57.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Fair Plain | Berrien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $169,400 ±$14,023 | $224,300 | +$47,438 |
| Median gross rent | $1,019 ±$129 | $942 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 57.2% ±12.8 pts | 41.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,238 ±$89 | $1,462 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.8% ±6.3 pts | 72.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 30.2% ±6.3 pts | 27.2% | – |
| Housing units | 3,531 ±277 | 77,276 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.6% ±8.0 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.8% ±4.0 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.5% ±1.6 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 9.4% ±3.9 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.7% ±3.7 pts | 8.0% | – |
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 do people in Fair Plain work and get to work?
79.3% of Fair Plain's workers drive alone and 6.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 18.1%.
| Measure | Fair Plain | Berrien County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.8% ±4.0 pts | 59.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 18.1% ±9.2 pts | 6.2% | +10.8 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 79.3% ±5.3 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.6% ±3.7 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.5% ±2.0 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 1.6% ±1.7 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.1% ±2.7 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.9 min ±3.1 | 21.2 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 Fair Plain?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Fair Plain, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $37,068 (Tract 20) to $68,200 (Tract 7).
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 Fair Plain) · Census block assignment files
How does Fair Plain compare with other places in Michigan?
Fair Plain ranks 1,180th of 1,354 places in Michigan with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 287th | 1,356 |
| Residents per square mile | 178th | 1,356 |
| Median household income | 1,180th | 1,354 |
| Per capita income | 1,151st | 1,355 |
| Median home value | 931st | 1,354 |
| Median gross rent | 522nd | 1,212 |
| Poverty rate | 56th | 1,213 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 615th | 1,350 |
| Median age | 880th | 1,356 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,098th | 1,356 |
| Work from home | 927th | 1,062 |
| Travel time to work | 1,131st | 1,356 |
Fair Plain's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Fair Plain 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 Fair Plain?
12 of the 57 figures for Fair Plain 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 Fair Plain 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.