Fairfield receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fairfield
Vallejo
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 35%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Growth
41 · Bottom 34%
vs28 · Bottom 15%
Climate
77 · Top 25%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 18%
vs23 · Bottom 17%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 11%
vs47 · Bottom 8%
Access
81 · Bottom 24%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs56 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | Fairfield | Vallejo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 120,785 | 124,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $101,895 | $90,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,473 | $42,240 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,904/sq mi | 4,083/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $624,300 | $589,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,266 | $2,073 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.3% | 57.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 28.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 157 | 45 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -47.8% | -71.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 24.8" | 20.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.0 min | 36.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 40.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 33 | 28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.21 | 23.41 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.6% | 75.7% | 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.
Vallejo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Fairfield, CA · Vallejo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology