Franklin receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Franklin
Fairfield
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth
27 · Bottom 13%
vs21 · Bottom 9%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
90 · Top 11%
vs77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs97 · Top 14%
Schools
49 · Bottom 47%
vs34 · Bottom 28%
Access
90 · Bottom 42%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
40 · Bottom 18%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Franklin | Fairfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,712 | 44,828 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $58,587 | $77,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,714 | $40,668 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,243/sq mi | 2,152/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $183,100 | $234,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $981 | $1,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.7% | 63.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.7% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.8% | 30.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.5% | 8.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -75.0% | -96.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 41.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.2 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.31 | 20.52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 61.7% | 52.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.5% | 54.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.1% | 60.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Franklin
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Fairfield
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Franklin, OH · Fairfield, OH · How this is calculated: methodology