Fairfield vs West Covina
The short version
- Fairfield is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the West Covina area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $624,300 in Fairfield and $779,800 in West Covina.
- West Covina has the warmer winter: January highs of 68°F vs 57°F.
- Fairfield is growing faster: +2.1% since 2020 vs -3.8%.
Side by side
| Fairfield, CA | West Covina, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 122,489 | 105,301 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.1% | -3.8% |
| People per square mile | 2,945 | 6,567 |
| Median age | 36.9 | 40.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 30% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $101,895 | $101,065 |
| Median home value | $624,300 | $779,800 |
| Home value to income | 6.1× | 7.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,266 | $2,245 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.5 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 142.0 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,400 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 60% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.7 | 32.9 |
| Work from home | 12% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 6.5% |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 10% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 57° / 40° | 68° / 43° |
| July high / low | 90° / 58° | 90° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 25 in | 15 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 60 | 70 |
| Nights below freezing | 8 | 3 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 8 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.0 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 99% | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.7% | +1.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +14.3% | +31.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Fairfield: March to June and October to November. West Covina: January to June and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Fairfield weather by month and West Covina weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $81,400 in Fairfield and $85,200 in West Covina. Moving from Fairfield to West Covina, you would need about $78,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Fairfield and West Covina
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Fairfield and West Covina.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.