City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Fairfax, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Fairfax - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,654
Residents
$50,326
Median income
$277,800
Median home
$1,483
Median rent (state)

Fairfax - the verdict

Fairfax ranks in the 20th percentile for household income and the 61st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

20th
percentile, household income
61st
percentile, home value
59th
percentile, median rent
61st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Fairfax, CA

1,654 people live in Fairfax, California - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Fairfax households earn a median of $50,326 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 16.3%. Fairfax's housing stock carries a median value of $277,800, and the median resident age is 32.1 years. 6.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 49.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Fairfax reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1073.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,483 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 98.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

1,654 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$50,326 /yr

Poverty 16.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Fairfax compare to other US cities?

Where Fairfax sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 20% higher than other cities
Home value 61% pricier than other cities
Median rent 59% pricier than other cities
Safety 61% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just California and the picture shifts: Fairfax ranks #73 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Fairfax's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

20thIncome percentile
61stSafety percentile

20th percentile nationally for median household income · 61st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Fairfax's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Fairfax's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 40 Avg. percentile National median
Fairfax's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Fairfax's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$277,800 39th percentile more affordable than 39% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Fairfax $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Fairfax, CA Fairfax, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fairfax, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Fairfax, CA median $50,326/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Fairfax, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Fairfax, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 6.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 16.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 49.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,654
Median Income
$50,326
Median Home Value
$277,800
Median Age
32.1
Poverty Rate
16.3%
Labor force participation
49.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
6.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1073.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
108.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
964.4
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
97.4%
Carpool
2.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%

Based on 572 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Fairfax sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,483/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Seeley
1,654 people
Sunnyside-Tahoe
1,658 people
Terra Bella
1,658 people
Middletown
1,659 people
Pine Valley
1,646 people
McClellan Park
1,665 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fairfax's 1,654 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Moundridge, KS
1,654 people
Tawas City, MI
1,654 people
Cedar Glen West, NJ
1,654 people
Hartshorne, OK
1,654 people
Sophia, WV
1,654 people
Uniontown, AL
1,655 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fairfax's $50,326 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Gonzales, TX
$50,324 median income
McDade, TX
$50,329 median income
Camillus, NY
$50,333 median income
Big Stone City, SD
$50,333 median income
Bowmans Crossing, VA
$50,333 median income
Healdton, OK
$50,338 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fairfax, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Fairfax, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 71.6% 15.1% 8.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 74.1% White 71.6% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 4.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 15.1% Two or more races 8.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Fairfax compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Fairfax (this city) 1,654 $50,326
Seeley 1,654 $56,917
Sunnyside-Tahoe 1,658 $121,154
Terra Bella 1,658 $62,073
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fairfax, CA?

What is the population of Fairfax, CA? +

Fairfax, CA counts 1,654 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fairfax, CA? +

In Fairfax, the typical household earns $50,326 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fairfax? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Fairfax; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Fairfax, CA safe? +

Fairfax has a total crime rate of 1073.1 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Fairfax, CA? +

Fairfax's median home value sits at $277,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.