Fairfax, VA vs Merced, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Fairfax

70.4

#1102 nationally

Merced

64.3

#1702 nationally

Fairfax leads in crime level (2.5 vs 21.5). Fairfax leads in median household income ($128,708 vs $59,233). Merced leads in cost of living index (121 vs 160).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Fairfax, VA	Merced, CA
WhereAtHome Score	70.4 (#1102)	64.3 (#1702)
Population	25,144	93,692
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$787,568	$397,570
Median Household Income	$128,708	$59,233
Average Commute	28.5 min	27 min
Walk Score	54	42
Crime Level	2.5	21.5
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	160	121
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+35.0	R+4.4