States › California › Fair Oaks

Is Fair Oaks, CA expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 22 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$2,33733% higher than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$126,158about $10,513/month · 45% higher than U.S. average
🔑 House price$683,000105% higher than U.S. average

Rent is higher than in 81% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 5.4 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $93,480 a year. That is $45 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other California cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of California. It is number 318 of 653 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Fair Oaks
$2,337
Foster City
$3,500+
Dana Point
$3,500+
Los Gatos
$3,381
Menlo Park
$3,629
Goleta
$3,590
Bell
$1,833

How much do households earn in Fair Oaks?

Under $25k
6.5%
$25k–50k
11.8%
$50k–100k
31.0%
$100k–150k
26.1%
$150k+
20.6%

Share of households by yearly income. 46.7% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Fair Oaks

SizeFair OaksU.S. average
Studio$2,078$1,338
1 bedroom$1,736$1,324
2 bedrooms$2,056$1,509
3 bedrooms$2,472$1,698
4 bedrooms$3,292$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Fair Oaks overall?

Everyday prices in California overall are 11% above the U.S. average (index 110.7, U.S. = 100).

Housing
154
Goods (food, clothes…)
106
Utilities
159
Other services
103
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Fair Oaks, so the California figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Fair Oaks

🏛️ Property tax$4,950a year · 0.72% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$152a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Fair Oaks

Commute to work29.7 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree48.7%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home71.2%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line7.2%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment6.1%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fair Oaks?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $2,402 a month less.

Renting
$2,337
Owning
$4,739

Owning assumes a typical $683,000 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $68,300 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Fair Oaks, CA?

Renting in Fair Oaks costs a median of about $2,337 a month in 2026, including utilities. The California median is $2,357.

How much do I need to make to live in Fair Oaks?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $93,480 a year, or $45 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Fair Oaks cheap or expensive?

Fair Oaks is rated OK: rent takes 22.2% of the typical household income of $126,158. It ranks 318th cheapest of 653 California cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Fair Oaks?

The median homeowner in Fair Oaks pays $4,950 a year in property taxes, about 0.72% of the median home value.

Is Fair Oaks more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in California are 11% above the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Fair Oaks?

The median home value in Fair Oaks is $683,000, about 5.4 times the typical yearly household income.

32,799 people live in Fair Oaks. Numbers are typical (middle) values.