Is Fairfield, CA a Good Place to Live?
Fairfield is a mid-sized city of 119,420 in California, with a median household income of $98,857 and a 5.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 109 (US average = 100), which is 9% above the national average.
Strengths: Fairfield's profile is close to national averages across most measures.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Fairfield is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fairfield city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 109.2Fairfield's overall cost of living index is 109.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fairfield costs roughly 9% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Fairfield, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $546,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,047 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 60.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $98,857 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageFairfield's violent crime rate is 498.0 per 100,000 residents — 31% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Fairfield is served primarily by Fairfield-Suisun Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24.1:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Fairfield, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Fairfield-Suisun Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 20 | — |
| Middle Schools | 4 | — |
| High Schools | 5 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 24.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 87.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fairfield sees average highs of 56.6°F in January and 89.6°F in July, with 24.5 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Fairfield, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 56.6°F |
| Average High — July | 89.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 24.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Fairfield, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 119,420 | — |
| Median Age | 35.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 32.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 40.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 15.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 18.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fairfield
Fairfield, CA is covered by 3 ZIP codes: