Fairfield CA and thereabouts (Sacramento, Vallejo: apartment, lease, crime rate)

[Bermudashorts]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this forum and have joined up as my hubby is about to receive a job offer from a company based in Fairfield, CA. He works in a very specialised, niche area so they have not been able to find a USC to fill the post in the last six months.

We have never lived in the US before and thus are looking for input on where to house hunt, where to avoid that kind of thing, within commuting distance of Fairfield. Hubby would be happy to travel for up to about 45 minutes each way.

We are in our late 30's, no children but two cats. I won't be able to work under his visa. We would have around $2,000 a month for rent.

All ideas are welcome.

Cheers.

[NewToCA]

You have five decent sized areas to choose from, that will give you a commute of 45 minutes or less. The areas are Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo and Napa.

Fairfield isn't bad, tends to be pretty much of a middle class area with a strong military presence due to Travis Air Force Base being nearby. Suisun City is a small town just to the south and east of Fairfield and has some nice residential areas and a small marina opening up to the Delta, but I don't recall seeing any apartment buildings in the area. As with all areas in the country that are near large military bases, you typically have some significant less desirable areas too, so you need to look at areas before committing to a lease.

Vacaville is a booming area about 10-12 miles north and east of Fairfield. It has a lot of recent residential and shopping development, but some minor inconsistent areas due to the major development boom happening just as the economy here hit a difficult spot. This resulted in some vacant areas, and some homes being rented out with little checks about background. I'd be OK with renting there myself, and generally like the overall area, but you need to check each place out to see if you are comfortable there.

I haven't seen much of Vallejo myself, but from my limited view of the city it seems a bit more industrial and less well maintained than the other cities I've listed. I'm sure it has it's nice areas and less desirable areas too, but the crime rate is rather high, and they've received a lot of national publicity about having to cut back on police, so I'd be a little hesitant to recommend the city myself. But perhaps those with more experience there can give a better synopsis of why it may be a decent residential option.

Finally, Napa is at the southern end of "wine country", and is generally regarded as a desirable and affluent region. It is quite nice, and would clearly be among my personal top picks, along with Vacaville, given your requirements.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Just FYI to the OP, Fairfield is essentially a "dual role exurb" - specifically, it is an exurb to both the SF and Sacramento conurbations. Something to keep in mind as you make your choice. For example, Vallejo is an outright SF burb and all the aspects inherent to that. Napa is a "second home" haven for wealthy SF metro people, etc. Poke around, get to know the lay of the land a bit before you make your choice.

[Bermudashorts]

Thanks for the ideas, I will read up on these areas on internet! It is such a big decision to make and we will be rushed to find somewhere quickly once we land.