Fairfax, VA vs Imperial, 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
Imperial
71.3
#996 nationally
Imperial leads in average commute (18.1 min vs 28.5 min). Fairfax leads in median household income ($128,708 vs $83,029). Imperial leads in cost of living index (118 vs 160).
Metric-by-Metric Breakdown
| Metric | Fairfax, VA | Imperial, CA |
|---|---|---|
| WhereAtHome Score | 70.4 (#1102) | 71.3 (#996) |
| Population | 25,144 | 21,591 |
| Typical Home Value (ZHVI) | $787,568 | $445,376 |
| Median Household Income | $128,708 | $83,029 |
| Average Commute | 28.5 min | 18.1 min |
| Walk Score | 54 | N/A |
| Crime Level | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| School Rating | N/A | N/A |
| Cost of Living Index | 160 | 118 |
| Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored | D+35.0 | R+0.9 |
Data coverage note: Imperial is missing data for 1 metric that Fairfax has. Scores with less coverage are penalized — see our methodology.
C-
70.4 Score
Fairfax, VA
Small Virginia city with local appeal
Median Home
$787,568
Population
25,144
Crime
Low
Walk Score
54
Northeast
View Fairfax, VA →
C-
71.3 Score
Imperial, CA
Small California city with local appeal
Median Home
$445,376
Population
21,591
Crime
Low
Median Income
$83,029
Pacific
View Imperial, CA →