Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Daly City, CA
VS
Fairfield, CA
🏆 Daly City leads 14 of 22 categories
Daly City
California
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
118.2⚠ High
Median Household Income
$114,910 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
78 ✓ Safer
Population
103,648
Fairfield
California
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
109.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$98,857
Violent Crime Index
131⚠ High
Population
119,420 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Daly City, CA
Pros
41% less violent crime than Fairfield
Households earn $16,053 more per year on average
Cooler summers — July highs near 62°F vs 90°F
More college-educated — 38.5% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 21.3:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $1,073,100
Higher rents — median is $2,554/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 118.2)
Cost of living runs 9% higher than Fairfield
Fairfield, CA
Pros
Homes cost $527k less ($546,200 vs $1,073,100)
Rent averages $507/mo less ($2,047 vs $2,554)
9% cheaper overall cost of living than Daly City
Cons
Violent crime (498.0/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Median income trails Daly City by $16,053/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Daly City
Median Income
$16,053
$114,910 vs $98,857/yr
Daly City
Violent Crime
41% lower
296.3 vs 498.0 per 100k
Fairfield
Cost of Living
9% cheaper
COL index 109.2 vs 118.2 (100 = US avg)
Fairfield
Median Home Value
$527k less
$546,200 vs $1,073,100
Fairfield
Summer Heat
27.8°F warmer
July avg high 89.6°F vs 61.8°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Daly City, CA | Fairfield, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 118.2⚠ High | 109.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $1,073,100⚠ High | $546,200⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,554⚠ High | $2,047⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $114,910 ✓ Higher | $98,857 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.5%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.8 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 32.3 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 10.1% ✓ Higher | 9.8% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 81 ✓ Safer | 111⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 78 ✓ Safer | 131⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 86 | 80 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B- (91) ✓ Better | C+ (85) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 21.3:1 ✓ Smaller | 24.1:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 38.5% ✓ Higher | 27.8% |
| High School or Higher | 87.8% ✓ Higher | 87.0% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Jefferson Elementary | Fairfield-Suisun Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 59.0°F ✓ Warmer | 56.6°F |
| Avg High — July | 61.8°F | 89.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 20.6" ✓ Drier | 24.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 103,648 | 119,420 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 41.4 ✓ Older | 35.8 |
| Homeownership Rate | 60.2% | 60.3% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 14.8% | 24.7% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 19.5% ✓ More | 13.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Daly City's cost of living index is 118.2 vs Fairfield's 109.2 (US average = 100).
Fairfield is 9% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Daly City leads 14 of 22 categories. Daly City wins 14 and Fairfield wins 8. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Daly City to Fairfield or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($1,073,100 vs $546,200 median home), income ($114,910 vs $98,857), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Daly City, CA and Fairfield, CA are about 46 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.