Fairfield vs Mount Sterling
Fairfield, Iowa versus Mount Sterling, Iowa: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Mount Sterling edges out Fairfield on overall objective livability (50 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fairfield | Mount Sterling |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $44k | — |
| Cost of Living | $44k | $43k |
| Home Value | $135k | — |
| Monthly Rent | $835 | — |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $0 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.89% | — |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.94% | 6.94% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.05% | — |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | — |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 23°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.4 in | 39.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 21.7 in | 23.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 65°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 84 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 58.0 | 91.5 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 59.7 | 61.2 |
| Violent Crime | 664/100k | 302/100k |
| Property Crime | 1400/100k | 357/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 9,474 | 0 |
| Median Age | 43.0 | — |
| Racial Diversity | 0.38 | — |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.21 | — |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+53 |
| White (%) | 75.4% | — |
| Black (%) | 7.9% | — |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.6% | — |
| Asian (%) | 8.7% | — |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | — |
| Getting Around | ||
| Walkability | 6.6/20 | 4.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 178 mi | 154 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.2% | — |
| Amenities Nearby | 24.28 | — |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Fairfield or Mount Sterling more affordable?
- Mount Sterling has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Fairfield's $44k and Mount Sterling's $43k.
- Is Fairfield or Mount Sterling safer?
- Mount Sterling has the lower violent crime rate. Fairfield reports 664/100k and Mount Sterling reports 302/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).