Fairfield, CA Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Fairfield, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Fairfield →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Roughly 119,420 people call Fairfield, California home. Household income runs $98,857 at the median, above what we see across the broader set of cities (+37%).
Housing costs are a defining factor for anyone relocating to Fairfield. The median home value sits at $546,200 (above the multi-city median at +67%), while renters pay a median of $2,047 per month. Buyers should weigh current mortgage rates and local property taxes against these figures before committing.
Home prices in Fairfield run about 5.5× median household income — a stretched ratio that puts real pressure on affordability for local buyers. The local housing market has cooled a bit — prices are down roughly 0.32% over the past year. FEMA classifies Fairfield's hazard risk as Relatively High. That elevated rating is a major driver of home insurance premiums in the area.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $2,047/mo in Fairfield would take 24.8% of your income.
$424/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($546,200) would take 35.4% of your income toward principal & interest.
$609/mo over the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Fairfield
Median home value is $546,200 and median gross rent is $2,047/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Solano fell 0.32% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $2,178/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Fairfield's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Fairfield reported a violent crime rate of 522.1 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Fairfield
Planning a move to Fairfield? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Fairfield, CA?
- For a quick read on Fairfield: homes carry a median value of $546,200, rent runs a median $2,047 monthly, and household income is a median $98,857, all from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fairfield?
- Using the standard 30%-of-income rule of thumb, affording Fairfield's median rent of $2,047/month takes an income of roughly $81,880 a year. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Fairfield.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Fairfield?
- In Fairfield, comfortably renting the median unit ($2,047/month) takes about $81,880 in annual income, while buying the median home ($546,200) takes roughly $124,968 a year in principal and interest alone (assumes 20% down, a 30-year fixed loan, and current mortgage rates).
- Is Fairfield safe?
- Per FBI Crime Data Explorer figures, Fairfield's violent crime rate was 522.1 per 100,000 residents in 2025.
See the full salary breakdown for Fairfield →
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