Fairview Township began as an agricultural area, with only a small amount of industry and trade. Because of its primary agricultural base, township population growth was very slow after the initial settlement. The first census count in 1820 was 1,764. Eighty years later, in 1900, the number reached 2,042, an increase of only 278. By 1950, it had more than doubled to 5,514, and 1990 figures showed the township population at 13,258. The development of better highway systems and the suburban growth of the Harrisburg area have greatly changed portions of the township over the last 50 years.