Vacaville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fairfield
Vacaville
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 35%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
41 · Bottom 34%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
77 · Top 25%
vs77 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 18%
Access
81 · Bottom 24%
vs86 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Fairfield | Vacaville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 120,785 | 102,596 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $101,895 | $111,126 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,473 | $46,475 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,904/sq mi | 3,435/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $624,300 | $620,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,266 | $2,299 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.3% | 67.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 28.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 157 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.8% | -31.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 24.8" | 24.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.0 min | 29.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 33 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.21 | 22.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.6% | 51.7% | 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
Fairfield
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Vacaville
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Fairfield, CA · Vacaville, CA · How this is calculated: methodology