Cost Of Living in Fairfax, CA

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F

98%

Overall NAT. AVG.

9%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

292%

Housing NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: These cost of living estimates reflect 2026 modeled data using U.S. Census housing inputs and AI-assisted city-level pricing models.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living score is 90, then the estimated cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. If the score is 110, then the estimated cost of living is 10% higher than average. The overall index is calculated using weighted estimates across major everyday expense categories, including housing (30%), groceries (16%), transportation (12%), healthcare (10%), utilities (8%), lifestyle and entertainment (8%), household expenses (8%), and education and childcare (8%). All values are AI-assisted city-level estimates designed for directional comparisons.
Index	Fairfax	California	National
Cost of living	198	141	100
Groceries	109	111	100
Health care	113	116	100
Housing	392	197	100
Transportation	120	118	100
Utilities	116	119	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	114	120	100
Household Items	108	111	100
Education & Childcare	131	127	100

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Homes For Sale In Fairfax, CA

6744 Via del Mar

Bakersfield, CA

4812 Sammons Ave

Bakersfield, CA

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Fairfax is 41% higher than the California average
The cost of living in Fairfax is 98% higher than the national average
Fairfax housing is 292% higher than the national average
California general sales tax is 42% higher than the national average
California state income tax is 61% lower than the national average

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index
Lifestyle index
Household index
Educare index

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$182,562	$15,214	$4,259	$5,477
Renters	$92,414	$7,701	$2,156	$2,773

A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in Fairfax is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Fairfax has a median income of about $182,562 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $4,259 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $92,414. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $2,156 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

California Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
California	7.25%	10.5%

California Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
California	1%	13.3%

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Strawberry CDP (Tuolumne County), CA	119	115	15.1%
San Pablo, CA	32,024	140	39.7%
North Richmond, CA	4,427	144	44.1%
Montalvin Manor, CA	2,554	142	41.9%
Rollingwood, CA	3,750	149	49.3%
Fairfax, CA	7,797	198	98.3%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Port Jefferson Station, NY	7,798	139	39.2%
Hartsville, SC	7,799	91	8.7%
Breinigsville, PA	7,793	118	17.6%
Kaufman, TX	7,802	90	10.1%
Alta Sierra, CA	7,791	146	46.3%
Fairfax, CA	7,797	198	98.3%