Housing in Fairmont is rural and low-density, with single-family homes on large desert lots. Many properties include room for animals, equipment, or additional outbuildings, and some buyers keep horses or livestock. The community has no dense subdivisions, and the unincorporated setting means no city zoning beyond county oversight. Buyers here typically seek space, privacy, and a high-desert setting, often at a lower cost than the Los Angeles basin.

Fairmont has no formal subdivisions; it is a spread-out community on the western Antelope Valley's rural edge. Nearby communities include Quartz Hill, Del Sur, Antelope Acres, and Lake Los Angeles, each part of the valley's patchwork of small settlements. Lancaster and Palmdale anchor the region's jobs and services. The area's identity is tied to its desert landscape and rural roadways rather than to any single development.

Life in Fairmont is quiet and rural. The community's high-desert setting shapes daily rhythms, with clear skies, wide views, and a slower pace than the Los Angeles basin. Residents value space and self-reliance, and many keep animals or pursue hobbies that need room. Shopping, schools, and services are a drive into Lancaster or Palmdale, and the community's remoteness fosters a self-sufficient, outdoors-oriented way of life.

Students in the Fairmont area are served by the public school districts of the west Antelope Valley. Elementary and middle school students generally attend the Westside Union School District, based in nearby Quartz Hill, while high school students are served by the Antelope Valley Union High School District. These districts together cover Lancaster's west side and the surrounding rural communities of the valley.

Fairmont sits near State Route 138, which runs across the western Antelope Valley and connects to the Interstate 5 corridor and the Los Angeles basin. Lancaster and Palmdale are the nearest job and service centers, reached by the valley's highways, and the Antelope Valley Freeway (State Route 14) provides access south. Commutes to the Los Angeles basin are long but common for some residents.

Recreation around Fairmont draws on the high desert and the mountains that frame the Antelope Valley. The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve blooms seasonally a short drive away, and Saddleback Butte State Park offers hiking trails and sweeping desert views. The Angeles National Forest and the Sierra Pelona foothills provide mountain recreation, including hiking, camping, and off-road trails. Edwards Air Force Base's aviation heritage and Lancaster's events and fairgrounds round out the region's offerings for residents and visitors.