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Compare towns

Fairfield vs Tracy

49 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (3× in Fairfield) and average commute (12 min in Fairfield).

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Fairfield, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 120,785 people
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Tracy, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 96,966 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $460 more a month in Tracy

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Fairfield$3,520/mo
Typical home $599K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $2,266/mo · Housing →
Tracy$3,970/mo
Typical home $673K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $2,478/mo · Housing →

The difference: $460 a month, about $5,500 a year, between Tracy and Fairfield.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Tracy places higher on 12 of 22 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
FairfieldTracy
Snow a year0″0″
January low40°F41°F
July high90°F93°F
Growing season (days)336d330d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th76th
Outdoors & history
FairfieldTracy
Conserved land9.3%2.3%
Settled1859—
National Register places15
Archive photos1223
Famous people born here4015
Community
FairfieldTracy
Library hours a week57 hrs50 hrs
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

49 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Fairfield ↔ Tracy49 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

FairfieldTracy
People
Population 120,785Highest 96,966Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +13.8%Highest CA: +6.1% +12.2%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 36.9±0.6Highest about the CA average 35.6±0.7Lowest 6% below CA
Fairfield and Tracy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.1%±1.1Lowest CA: 22% 26.5%±1.5Highest CA: 22%
Tracy and Fairfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.9%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7% 11.3%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.6%Lowest CA: 37.1% 28.5%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±0.8Highest CA: 7.6% 6.6%±0.7Lowest CA: 7.6%
Fairfield and Tracy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $101,895±$3kLowest about the CA average $121,119±$6kHighest 22% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $624,300±$10kLowest 15% below CA $699,000±$11kHighest 5% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,266±$47Lowest 11% above CA $2,478±$87Highest 22% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,677Lowest 9% below CA $5,555Highest 8% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 65%±4.2Highest CA: 55.3% 52.2%±5.4Lowest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 10.2%Highest CA: 12% 7.8%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 61.3%Lowest CA: 55.9% 65%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1986Lowest 10 yrs newer than CA 1995Highest 19 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minLowest 7% above CA 43 minHighest 48% above CA
Work from home 11.6%±1.4Lowest CA: 17.2% 14.7%±1.6Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 19.5%Highest 17.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miLowest 28.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Lowest 1.09Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Vacaville (6%)Livermore (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TracyFew work in Fairfield
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 9.3%Highest 2.3%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 32.8 miHighest 10.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 25Lowest 76Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 79.8Lowest 106Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #238 of 574 in CA#283 of 574 in CA
School district Fairfield-Suisun Unified · Travis UnifiedTracy Joint Unified · Jefferson Elementary
High school in town Angelo Rodriguez HighMerrill F. West High
Students per teacherat that high school 25.2Highest 21.4Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Fairfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fairfield’s Town Square.

Tracy neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Local History Gems

1 neighbor in Tracy can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Fairfield and Tracy

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Fairfield

Towns like Fairfield

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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