Ideal CityOpen the map

Fair Oaks vs Sacramento

Fair Oaks, California versus Sacramento, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Fair Oaks

Solid · objective livability50/100

Sacramento

Mixed · objective livability49/100

Fair Oaks and Sacramento score about the same overall (50 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorFair OaksSacramento
Affordability
Median Household Income$112k$79k
Cost of Living$65k$65k
Home Value$623k$451k
Monthly Rent$2k$2k
Monthly Owner Costs$3k$2k
Property Tax Rate0.73%0.76%
Income Tax13.30%13.30%
Sales Tax8.85%8.85%
Estimated total tax burden20.29%20.56%
Unemployment4.6%6.3%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)48°F48°F
Summer Temp (Jul)77°F77°F
Annual Precipitation20.9 in20.4 in
Annual Snowfall0.0 in0.0 in
Sunny Days302 days302 days
Summer Humidity54°F54°F
Comfortable Days97 days103 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk35.929.0
Air Quality42 AQI39 AQI
School Quality70.868.4
Violent Crime1204/100k1961/100k
Property Crime2148/100k3178/100k
Community
Population32,754523,600
Median Age45.735.2
Racial Diversity0.360.76
Male/Female Ratio0.970.98
Political LeaningD+26D+26
White (%)73.2%30.8%
Black (%)2.2%11.9%
Hispanic (%)13.8%29.4%
Asian (%)4.6%19.2%
Other / Multiracial (%)6.2%8.7%
Getting Around
Commute Time30 min25 min
Walkability10.3/2016.8/20
Airport Distance19 mi12 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.5%92.3%
Amenities Nearby104.4117.04
Park & Nature AccessLimitedLimited

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fair Oaks or Sacramento more affordable?
Sacramento has the lower cost of living: its index is $65k, compared with Fair Oaks's $65k and Sacramento's $65k. Median rent is $2k in Fair Oaks versus $2k in Sacramento.
Is Fair Oaks or Sacramento safer?
Fair Oaks has the lower violent crime rate. Fair Oaks reports 1204/100k and Sacramento reports 1961/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Fair Oaks or Sacramento?
The median home value is $623k in Fair Oaks and $451k in Sacramento, so homes are more affordable in Sacramento.
See each on the map

Explore Fair Oaks →Explore Sacramento →

Full profiles