Short answer: Fairfield by the numbers
| Measure | Fairfield | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $598,419 (down 0.9% in a year) | Zillow, Sept 2026 |
| Typical rent | $2,425 a month (up 2.2%) | Zillow, Sept 2026 |
| Median household income | $101,895 | Census ACS 2020-2024 |
| Mean commute | 30.7 minutes | Census ACS 2020-2024 |
| Population | 120,785 | Census ACS 2020-2024 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 61.3% | Census ACS 2020-2024 |
Fairfield is the Solano County seat, set on Interstate 80 with Interstate 680 and State Route 12 meeting nearby. Visit Fairfield puts it 47.7 miles from San Francisco, 40.6 miles from Sacramento and 16 miles from Napa Valley. Whether it suits you depends mostly on where you work and how much house you need for the money.
Pros of living in Fairfield
Pro: Fairfield homes cost less than most of the Bay Area
Zillow's typical value of $598,419 is below nearby Benicia ($780,445), Concord ($720,907) and Napa ($861,798), all September 2026. It is close to Vacaville ($600,979) and Dixon ($605,822) and above Suisun City ($530,234) and Vallejo ($517,277). For buyers priced out of Contra Costa County, Fairfield is one of the nearest places where a typical house is under $600,000.
Pro: prices have stopped rising, which gives buyers time
Redfin's median sale price was $599,714 in the three months to September 2026, down 5.6% in a year, with a median of 43 days on market. Zillow's value is 7% below its June 2022 peak. That means more room to negotiate than in 2021 and 2022, although well-priced homes still sell quickly.
Pro: rents are below several neighbors
Zillow's typical rent in Fairfield was $2,425 a month in September 2026, up 2.2% in a year. That is below Vacaville ($2,627), Suisun City ($2,683), Concord ($2,569) and Napa ($2,815), though above Vallejo ($2,200). For people who want to rent first and buy later, Fairfield is a lower-cost base from which to learn the area.
Pro: two Capitol Corridor train stations
Fairfield has two Amtrak Capitol Corridor stops, Fairfield-Vacaville Hannigan and Suisun-Fairfield, and FAST says parking at both is free. For commuters whose jobs sit near a Capitol Corridor stop, that is a real alternative to I-80 traffic; check the timetable for your exact trip before you rely on it.
Pro: highway access in three directions
Interstate 80, Interstate 680 and State Route 12 all meet at or near Fairfield, so Sacramento, Contra Costa County and Napa are each a direct drive. That matters for two-income households with jobs in different directions.
Pro: wine country and farm stands next door
The Suisun Valley grape growers' site lists tasting rooms including Mangels Vineyards, Tenbrink Vineyards, Wooden Valley Winery, Suisun Creek Winery and Caymus-Suisun Winery, plus farm stands such as Larry's Produce. Suisun Valley Elementary's Lambert Road address is in Fairfield's 94534 ZIP, which shows how close the valley is.
Pro: open space and trails
Discovery Homes' community pages point buyers to Linear Park for walking and cycling, Rockville Hills Regional Park and Rush Ranch Open Space for hiking, and Paradise Valley Golf Course. One Lake adds a 21-acre lake and park for its residents.
Pro: new homes are available at mid-range prices
Builders were selling in at least 12 communities on October 30, 2026, from $564,990 at Aurora at One Lake. In much of the Bay Area, new single-family homes at that price are rare. See our new homes in Fairfield guide.
Pro: some high-scoring public schools
On the 2025 California School Dashboard, Angelo Rodriguez High scored 64.7 points above the English standard, Vanden High 34.6 above and Green Valley Middle 33.5 above. Results vary by school, so check the address. Our Fairfield schools guide lists each one.
Cons of living in Fairfield
Con: commutes to Bay Area jobs are long
The Census Bureau's mean travel time to work for Fairfield residents is 30.7 minutes, and that average includes people who work locally. A drive to San Francisco covers about 48 miles. Try the commute at rush hour before you buy.
Con: hot, dry summers
Visit Fairfield gives an average summer high of 88°F and a record of 113°F, set in 1984. Air conditioning is a real cost in summer, so ask a seller for a year of utility bills.
Con: school averages trail the state
Fairfield-Suisun Unified scored 26.3 points below the English standard and 65.0 below in math on the 2025 Dashboard, against state averages of 8.1 and 42.4 below. Several schools score far better than the district, but you need to check the specific address.
Con: special taxes and HOA dues in newer areas
The general 2026-27 tax rate in Fairfield's main tax rate area is 1.121057%, but newer subdivisions often add Mello-Roos and landscape charges, and One Lake homes carry estimated HOA dues of about $200 to $217 a month at Tri Pointe's neighborhoods. Read our Mello-Roos guide before you compare a new home with a resale.
Con: falling values for recent buyers
The same price softness that helps buyers hurts owners who bought near the 2022 peak. Zillow's typical value is about $45,000 below its June 2022 high of $643,722. If you may need to sell within a few years, factor in selling costs.
Con: flood, fire and insurance checks take time
Parts of the city sit near creeks and the low ground toward the Suisun Marsh, and other parts border open hillsides. Each address needs a check on the FEMA flood map and the CAL FIRE hazard map, and insurance quotes before you remove contingencies. Some owners in California now rely on the FAIR Plan when a regular carrier declines.
Con: few condos and no BART
Only 11 condos and 8 townhomes were listed on Zillow on October 30, 2026, so lower-cost ownership options are thin. BART does not reach Solano County; commuters use Capitol Corridor trains or buses to reach the BART network.
What it's like to live in Fairfield
Fairfield climate through the year
Visit Fairfield describes a Mediterranean climate with average highs and lows of 57°F and 39°F in winter, 72°F and 47°F in spring, 88°F and 56°F in summer and 76°F and 49°F in fall. July is the warmest month and January the wettest. The lowest temperature on record is 17°F, in 1990.
Getting around Fairfield
FAST, the city's transit service, runs fixed bus routes and FAST Connect on-demand service, and offers discounted fares for riders 65 and older. The Fairfield Transportation Center is at 2000 Cadenasso Drive. Most households rely on a car: 69.3% of Fairfield's homes are detached houses, per the Census Bureau.
Things to do in Fairfield
The Jelly Belly factory at 1 Jelly Belly Lane offers factory tours, a café and a candy store. Solano Town Center has the main shopping and the Regal Edwards cinema, according to Discovery Homes' area notes. Weekends often mean Suisun Valley tasting rooms, Rockville Hills trails or a 16-mile drive to Napa Valley.
Salary needed to live in Fairfield
MIT's Living Wage Calculator for Solano County (updated February 15, 2026) estimates the income needed to cover basic costs with no savings or extras:
| Household | Living wage per hour | Annual income before taxes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult, no children | $27.87 | $57,966 |
| 1 adult, 1 child | $51.28 | $106,665 |
| 2 adults (1 working), no children | $37.01 | $76,974 |
| 2 adults (both working), 2 children | $34.37 each | $142,961 |
Buying costs more. On Redfin's median sale price of $599,714 with 20% down, principal and interest at 7.24% (Freddie Mac, week of October 29, 2026) come to about $3,270 a month, and the 2026-27 base tax at 1.121057% adds about $560. Keeping those two costs to 30% of gross income takes about $153,000 a year, before insurance and any HOA or Mello-Roos. Renting at Zillow's typical $2,425 takes about $97,000 on the same 30% rule.
Who is moving to Fairfield
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 estimates show that 88.9% of Fairfield residents lived in the same home a year earlier. Of those who moved, most came from within Solano County (5.7% of residents), followed by other California counties (3.1%), other states (1.4%) and abroad (1.0%). Fairfield's median age is 36.9, 26.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 61.3% of homes are owner-occupied.
Retiring in Fairfield
About 14.9% of Fairfield residents, 18,051 people, are 65 or older, per the Census Bureau. Retirees moving from a higher-priced California county may be able to bring their Prop 13 tax base with them under Prop 19; see our Prop 19 guide and confirm with the Solano County Assessor. FAST offers discounted fares for riders 65 and older. Most new-home plans we checked on builder sites are two-story, with a few exceptions such as Seeno's single-story Adley plan at Enclave at Cordelia, so check floor plans carefully if stairs are a concern. For a statewide view, read the best places to retire in California and our California 55+ communities guide.
Where to live in Fairfield
Fairfield's two main ZIPs differ by about $155,000 in Zillow's typical value. Compare them on our Fairfield ZIP code guide and the Fairfield home buying guide. For official crime figures, see Fairfield crime data.
Central and east Fairfield (94533)
Zillow's typical value was $532,198 in September 2026, down 1.4% in a year. This is where most of the city's older homes, condos and townhouses are, along with downtown, Armijo High and Solano Town Center. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimate puts median household income here at $87,384. See the Fairfield condo guide for attached homes.
West and north Fairfield (94534)
Zillow's typical value was $687,848, down 0.5%. The ZIP includes Cordelia and the Gold Hill area near the I-80 and I-680 interchange, Angelo Rodriguez High and Green Valley Middle. The Census Bureau puts median household income at $140,198 and the owner-occupied share at 77.7%.
One Lake and the Vanden Road area
The newest large neighborhood, with five builders selling from $564,990 and a 21-acre lake and park. Builders state it is in Travis Unified School District, whose high school is Vanden High. Ask about HOA dues and special taxes, which add to the monthly cost.
The Villages and the Airbase Parkway area
Discovery Homes is selling Melrose and Summerwalk here and Midway Meadows on nearby Creek View Circle, from $649,000 at Midway Meadows to $899,000 for the five-bedroom Darby plan at Summerwalk. The builder points to Linear Park, Solano Town Center and Paradise Valley Golf Course as nearby. Ask the builder which school district and tax rate area serve each lot, then compare school results and the total tax rate with One Lake before you choose between them. Resale homes in the surrounding streets give a useful price check against builder base prices.
Should you move to Fairfield? A checklist
- Drive or ride your commute at rush hour, both ways, before you commit.
- Confirm the school district (Fairfield-Suisun or Travis Unified) and the schools for the exact address with the district.
- Pull the parcel's last tax bill to see the tax rate area and any Mello-Roos or assessment charges.
- Check the address on the FEMA flood map and the CAL FIRE hazard map, and get two insurance quotes; see our homeowners insurance guide.
- Budget for summer cooling and compare utility bills with the seller's.
- Compare a resale home with builder incentives at One Lake or The Villages.
- Talk to a local agent; our featured Fairfield agent page explains how we choose them.