Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety25#11,748/15,637
Economy85#2,325/15,631
Housing16#12,570/14,977
Health71#4,601/15,609
Healthcare74#4,111/15,650
Environment16#12,926/15,453
Education43#8,982/15,649
Infrastructure87#1,987/15,650
Community32#10,614/15,651
Leisure & amenities52#7,462/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Fair Oaks, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Sacramento County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Drought exposure · low0%
98/100California 9%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAASacramento County value
Access to exercise opportunities · high98.9%
95/100California 94.3%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSacramento County value
Physical inactivity · low15.3%
94/100California 23.5%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
New business applications · high22.1 /1k
94/100California 14.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauSacramento County value
Public EV charging ports · high15.8 /10k
91/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergySacramento County value
Broadband subscriptions · high96.2%
90/100California 93.5%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Weaknesses

Students per teacher · high23.1×
0/100California 21.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsSacramento County value
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
7/100California 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSacramento County value
Mammography screening · low36.0%
9/100California 38.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSacramento County value
Drug overdose deaths · high29.2 /100k
10/100California 20.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSacramento County value
Violent crime rate · high503 /100k
10/100California 433 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationSacramento County value
Loneliness · high37.0%
11/100California 37.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
31,032 (2015-2019) → 32,799 (2020-2024)
+5.7%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Median household incomeImproving
$84,717 (2015-2019) → $116,975 (2020-2024)
+38%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
90.3% (2015-2019) → 96.2% (2020-2024)
+6 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
10.0% (2015-2019) → 7.0% (2020-2024)
−3 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
53.9% (2015-2019) → 51.0% (2020-2024)
−3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
32.9% (2015-2019) → 30.5% (2020-2024)
−2.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Fair Oaks, California improved on 2 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 13 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Household income+38%$84,717 → $116,975
Broadband+6 points90.3% → 96.2%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Fair Oaks, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	28.9 min2015-2019	29.7 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	46.4%2015-2019	48.7%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Broadband subscriptions	90.3%2015-2019	96.2%2020-2024	+6 points	Improved	37%
Child poverty rate	10.0%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Effective property tax rate	0.81%2015-2019	0.72%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
High school diploma or higher	94.8%2015-2019	96.2%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Home price to income ratio	5.6×2015-2019	5.8×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	67%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4622015-2019	0.4422020-2024	−0.020	Within the margin of error	68%
Median household income	$84,7172015-2019	$116,9752020-2024	+38%	Improved	71%
Poverty rate	9.1%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Public transit commuters	1.4%2015-2019	1.1%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Rent as share of income	32.9%2015-2019	30.5%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Rent-burdened households	53.9%2015-2019	51.0%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Unemployment rate	4.5%2015-2019	6.1%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.6%2015-2019	4.7%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	58%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Fair Oaks, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Fair Oaks, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Fair Oaks, California itself moved +5.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

32,799 residents (±1,611)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 women (−3.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

32,799 residents (±1,611)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

White71%23,309
Black1.7%†566
Hispanic or Latino14%4,711
Asian4.9%1,614
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†68
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races7.7%2,531

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−2.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

24,864 residents (±1,288)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

No high school diploma3.8%937
High school or GED16%3,981
Some college22%5,556
Associate degree9.2%2,291
Bachelor's degree30%7,348
Graduate degree19%4,751

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: High school or GED (+3.9 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

13,099 households (±527)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

Under $25k8.1%1,066
$25k–50k9.7%1,266
$50k–75k11%1,428
$75k–100k14%1,775
$100k–150k20%2,674
$150k–200k17%2,203
$200k or more21%2,687

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+7.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

13,099 households (±527)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

Own71%9,329
Rent29%3,770

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

3,684 households (±421)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

Under $7502.6%†95
$750–1,0001.5%†54
$1,000–1,50015%535

Home values

9,329 homes (±487)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

Under $150k1.6%†148
$150k–250k0.8%†77
$250k–400k5.0%470

Age of homes

13,603 homes (±544)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

2010 or later3.9%525
2000–20096.4%877
1980–199931%4,218

Size of homes

13,603 homes (±544)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

Studio1.6%†211
1 bedroom7.7%1,045
2 bedrooms22%2,936

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

15,188 workers (±995)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

Drive alone65%9,853
Carpool7.6%†1,149
Public transit1.1%†169
Walk1.3%†199
Bike0.2%†25
Work from home24%3,603
Other1.3%†190

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−16.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

11,585 workers (±843)

Fair Oaks, California
California share

Under 15 min16%1,862
15–29 min41%4,793
30–44 min28%3,282

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Sacramento County, the county holding most of Fair Oaks's residents.

Sacramento County has 34,280 employer establishments, 215 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.82× California's), with 533,709 paid employees at an average annual pay of $71,257. The Census Bureau also counts 135,917 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 34,280; 135,917 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 215; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 533,709
Average annual pay: $71,257; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Sacramento County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	2,956	18.5	1.01×About typical	52,485	$25,508	593
Ambulatory health care services	2,865	17.9	0.86×About typical	46,292	$95,154	4,750
Specialty trade contractors	2,241	14	0.91×About typical	29,077	$77,249	5,372
Lessors of real estate	1,750	11	0.89×About typical	8,301	$64,042	9,888
Limited-service restaurants	1,313	8.2	1.03×About typical	23,702	$22,655	240
Truck transportation	1,204	7.5	1.49×More than typical	5,380	$53,925	8,745
Full-service restaurants	1,124	7	0.92×About typical	21,930	$29,413	224
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,103	6.9	1.03×About typical	8,224	$97,600	4,136
Construction of buildings	1,010	6.3	0.84×About typical	8,897	$93,764	4,585
Legal services	945	5.9	1.10×About typical	6,749	$115,882	1,417
Services to buildings and dwellings	916	5.7	0.85×About typical	13,640	$43,205	6,960
Building equipment contractors	841	5.3	0.88×About typical	14,102	$82,269	1,200

Rank places for an industry Open Sacramento County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,596,637 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $500.2K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Fair Oaks, California: $15.25 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $500.2K; +19% vs FY2025
Per resident: $15.25; US $1,994
Sole-source: 2.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 12%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$500.2K100%

Top recipients

SAM'S AIRPACK PLUS, INC.$500.2K100%

Spending by fiscal year

222.9KFY2017
205.5KFY2018
1.1MFY2019
6.2MFY2020
1.7MFY2021
298.6KFY2022
134.9KFY2023
498.3K

Top industries (NAICS)

Other electrical equipment and component manufacturing · 3359$257.1K51%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$102.9K21%
Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339$52.3K10%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$47.1K9.4%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$13.1K2.6%
Hardware manufacturing · 3325$9,182

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Fair Oaks, California

8511694318!SOLENOID,ELECTRICAL$304K
SAM'S AIRPACK PLUS, INC.· Sacramento County, CA· Other equipment & supplies· Oct 9, 2025 – Oct 9, 2025· SPE7M126P0572
8511784140!PUMPING UNIT,HYDRAU$39.9K
SAM'S AIRPACK PLUS, INC.· Sacramento County, CA· Other equipment & supplies· Dec 2, 2025 – Dec 2, 2025· SPE7M026P0786
8511608861!HOSE ASSEMBLY,NONME$27.6K
SAM'S AIRPACK PLUS, INC.· Sacramento County, CA· Other equipment & supplies· Oct 3, 2025 – Oct 3, 2025· SPE4A626P0230
8512067085!TUBE ASSEMBLY,METAL

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Fair Oaks, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Fair Oaks, California's figures are part of those of Sacramento County, CA ($625.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.1% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Fair Oaks is mostly in Sacramento County.

See federal money in Sacramento County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Fair Oaks, California is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Sacramento County52100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA65

Other cities and towns in Sacramento County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0623294

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends