Don Castro at Castro Valley, 2011
Fairview’s story
Fairview in pictures
Census counts: 9,045 in 1990, 11,341 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 8 maps from 1899 on.
Explore the history →
FairviewCA
A town of 10,745.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: ECTran71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
10,745
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$963K
Census ACS
Household income
$149K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
865
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#289 of 841 in CA
Is Fairview a good place to live?
Fairview grades C+ overall, 289th among California's 841 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 84% of the country and the median household earns $149K. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $963K, 7.1 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Fairview’s trail network density is 3.0 miles per square mile, above both the California town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Fairview is more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns. Don Castro Regional Recreation Area, at 83 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Fairview stand out
Where Fairview beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Fairview has grown 13% from 2010 to 2020
10,003 counted in 2010 and 11,341 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Fairview grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Fairview is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11 of 20; 3.3% of households have no carAOpen →HealthEden Medical Center 2.7 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 255 attractions →Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 225 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fairview. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw16 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw20 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great AmericaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Fairview: who provides what
Fairview is unincorporated, so Alameda County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Hayward water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAlameda CountyAlameda County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAlameda Registrar of VotersAlameda County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes94541, 9454294541 91% · 94542 9%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Fairview.
Fairview sends most of its workers to Oakland and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers 9.5% of Fairview
9.0 miles of trail wind through 7 parks and preserves.
#81for trails in CA
9.5%
conserved · 182 of 1,909 acres
9.0 mi
of trails · 3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Don Castro Regional Recreation Area | 1.9 mi | 83 |
| 2. East Avenue Park | 0.9 mi | 26 |
| 3. Sulphur Creek Nature Center | 0.5 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC
Fairview’s public schools trail 72% of California districts
One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the Hayward Unified school district. Public school enrollment in Fairview: 950 students across 2 schools.
28%of CA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 543 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
For health, Fairview earns an A−
Against the 2,836 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fairview’s, it is less healthy than 64%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Among adults in Fairview, 25% have obesity. 9.3% of adults smoke cigarettes in the town, where California’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 14%.
84%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Fairview | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. California
13 better19 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Fairview | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7% | 10.6% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 10.6% |
Eden Medical Center
2.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
75th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Natural hazards: very high risk in Fairview, mostly earthquakes
71% of Fairview’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 27%. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 84% of U.S. communities.
84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Fairview sends most of its workers out of town
Fairview has 865 jobs for its 5,101 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 2,243 in 2013 to 865.
In Fairview, 1.3% of working residents work locally. Jobs based in the town fell to 865 in 2023, 1,378 fewer than in 2013. For Fairview, the average trip to work is 35 minutes. Half commute less than 15 miles.
1%work in town
| Fairview | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $149,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 19% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Fairview1%
Oakland11%
Hayward10%
San Francisco8%
Fremont6%
15 mi
median commute distance
865
jobs based in Fairview
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers: that is Fairview’s year
In Fairview, the peak summer temperature is 82°F.
82°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–59°
Spring47–69°
Summer55–81°
Fall50–74°
Dec 22
typical first frost
Mar 8
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
82°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Older than California overall
The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 43%, against 37% across California. People 65 and older are a fifth of residents (16% statewide). For residents in Fairview, the share who are under 18 is 19%.
40.9median age · CA 37.9
| Fairview | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 40.9 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
FairviewCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school22%
Some college17%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Fairview | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.1% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.6% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.7% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.9% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
HousingCost of living grade D
Homes in Fairview sell for about $955K
The share of households in Fairview who live in a home they own: 79%. For Fairview, the midpoint rent is $2,644 a month. Bidding over the asking price: 78% of homes sold in the town.
$955Kmedian sale price
| Fairview | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,644 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 64% | 73% |
Market temperature
16
days on market
108.1%
sale-to-list price
9
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fairview
17pages on Fairview
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
12 within 15 miles of the center of Fairview
California State University-East BayUniversity or college · Public · Hayward1.5 mi$7,583 in-state tuitionChabot CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hayward4.1 mi$1,150 in-state tuitionLife Chiropractic College WestUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hayward4.8 mi
About 6 of every 100 Fairview residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Get outside
9 miles of trails in Fairview
9.5% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Fairview
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Fairview is a census-designated place (CDP) in unincorporated Alameda County, California, United States, in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose Metropolitan Statistical Area by the US Census. A mix of suburban bedroom community and low-density, multi-acre rural properties backed up against vast open space, Fairview borders the census-designated place of Castro Valley to the north and east, and the city of Hayward to the west. Fairview's population was 11,341 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 597 ft
- Area code
- 510
Fairview’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Fairview.
HaywardCastro ValleyFairview
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview | #289 | C+ | D | — | C | A− |
| Hayward | #528 | C− | D | D | C+ | B+ |
| Castro Valley | #51 | A− | D− | — | A | A− |
Fairview and Castro Valley report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fairview with a neighbor →
Questions about Fairview
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fairview, CA a good place to live?
Fairview grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #289 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Fairview, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $963,000, 27% above the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.