Benicia receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Benicia
Fairfield
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs49 · Bottom 35%
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs41 · Bottom 34%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs77 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 17%
vs51 · Bottom 11%
Access
90 · Bottom 43%
vs81 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Benicia | Fairfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,749 | 120,785 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $121,204 | $101,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,686 | $43,473 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,088/sq mi | 2,904/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $810,000 | $624,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,280 | $2,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 61.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.6% | 26.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 157 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 140.0% | -47.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.1" | 24.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.4 min | 33.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.9 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.73 | 24.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 23.5% | 60.6% | 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
Benicia
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Fairfield
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Benicia, CA · Fairfield, CA · How this is calculated: methodology