Fairfield receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Vallejo
Fairfield
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 20%
vs49 · Bottom 35%
Growth
28 · Bottom 15%
vs41 · Bottom 34%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs77 · Top 25%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs23 · Bottom 18%
Housing affordability
47 · Bottom 8%
vs51 · Bottom 11%
Access
89 · Bottom 39%
vs81 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 42%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Vallejo | Fairfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 124,268 | 120,785 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,171 | $101,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,240 | $43,473 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,083/sq mi | 2,904/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $589,500 | $624,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,073 | $2,266 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.4% | 61.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.8% | 26.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 45 | 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) | -71.9% | -47.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 24.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.8 min | 33.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.6 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 28 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.41 | 24.21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 75.7% | 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
Vallejo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Fairfield
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Vallejo, CA · Fairfield, CA · How this is calculated: methodology