1st Advantage MortgageThe median Solano County household earns $100,401, and 10% of residents live below the poverty line. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Solano County, CA: the basics
- How much Solano County households make
- Rent, home values and ownership in Solano County
- The Solano County job picture
- Counties near Solano County
- The communities that make up Solano County
- What a median Solano County budget can carry
- Who lives in Solano County, in numbers
- What the numbers mean for Solano County borrowers
- Lender oversight for Solano County
- Checklist for Solano County applicants
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Solano County, CA: the basics
Solano County is home to about 451,918 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 19th most populous of 58 county-level areas in California. Packed into 822 square miles, that is close to 550 residents for every square mile of land. It is one of the counties that make up the Vallejo, CA metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). Vallejo is the biggest of its 11 Census places, at roughly 124,268 people (27% of the county total).
How much Solano County households make
Half of Solano County households take in less than $100,401 a year and half take in more, about the same as the California median of $99,122. That places it 17th among California's 58 county-level areas.
| Yearly household income | Solano County | Gap to California |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 15.6% | -2.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 34.2% | +1.6 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 32.7% | +3.5 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 17.5% | -3.0 pts |
Some 16% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 50% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 10.0% of Solano County residents in poverty, against 12.0% across California. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.429 here. For a borrower in Solano County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
Rent, home values and ownership in Solano County
Renters in Solano County pay a median of $2,163 a month, 6% above the California figure of $2,036. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 60% of renter households here. With a median value of $617,700, a typical Solano County house costs 6.2 times what the median household earns in a year. Owners occupy 63% of homes.
| Housing | Solano County | California statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $2,163/mo | $2,036/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $617,700 | $734,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 63% | 56% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 60% | 55% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 38% | 38% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 2.5% | 3.5% | n/a |
When half or more of renters are already stretched, a new payment needs a stress test: what happens if a paycheck is a week late?
The Solano County job picture
The biggest employer of Solano County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 23% of workers, followed by retail trade (11%). Compared with California, the county leans toward public administration (7% against 5%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 6.5% in Solano County. 25% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 12% work from home. Only 4.9% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Top industries | Solano County share | +/- vs California |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.6% | +0.5 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.5% | +1.4 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 11.4% | -3.1 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 8.7% | -0.7 pts |
| Manufacturing | 8.6% | -0.2 pts |
| Construction | 8.2% | +1.5 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Counties near Solano County
Nearest neighbors first, measured between county centers (24 to 43 miles). Income ranges from $91,752 in Yolo County to $129,367 in Alameda County; 3 of these neighbors top Solano County's median.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solano County | - | $100,401 | $2,163/mo | 63% |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 24 mi | $127,229 | $2,375/mo | 68% |
| Napa County, CA | 27 mi | $111,471 | $2,237/mo | 63% |
| Yolo County, CA | 29 mi | $91,752 | $1,857/mo | 54% |
| Sacramento County, CA | 35 mi | $92,175 | $1,790/mo | 59% |
| Alameda County, CA | 43 mi | $129,367 | $2,357/mo | 54% |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 43 mi | $92,179 | $1,734/mo | 62% |
The communities that make up Solano County
Here are the 11 most populous of the county's 11 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 97% of Solano County residents live in one of the 11. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $89,306 in Rio Vista to $142,000 in Green Valley. Median rent ranges from $1,225 in Hartley to $2,394 in Green Valley. None of the 11 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Town or CDP | Type | People | Median household income | Median gross rent | Miles from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo | city | 124,268 | $90,171 | $2,073 | 21 mi |
| Fairfield | city | 120,785 | $101,895 | $2,266 | 5 mi |
| Vacaville | city | 102,596 | $111,126 | $2,299 | 7 mi |
| Suisun City | city | 29,286 | $94,787 | $2,157 | 4 mi |
| Benicia | city | 26,749 | $121,204 | $2,280 | 18 mi |
| Dixon | city | 19,683 | $102,878 | $1,859 | 14 mi |
| Rio Vista | city | 10,102 | $89,306 | $1,724 | 14 mi |
| Hartley | CDP | 2,431 | $124,254 | $1,225 | 11 mi |
| Allendale | CDP | 1,734 | $107,679 | n/a | 12 mi |
| Green Valley | CDP | 1,364 | $142,000 | $2,394 | 12 mi |
| Elmira | CDP | 319 | $86,349 | n/a | 6 mi |
CDP: census-designated place, an unincorporated community mapped for statistics.
What a median Solano County budget can carry
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Solano County's medians:
- $8,367 a month: gross income for a household at the Solano County median
- Median rent: $2,163, or 26 cents of every gross dollar
- $1,184: what a 40% ratio leaves once rent is paid
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
Who lives in Solano County, in numbers
29% of Solano County adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or more. About 5% go without health insurance.
| People and households | Solano County | California | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.2 | 37.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 28.8% | 37.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 11.4% | 15.3% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 4.8% | 6.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 4.9% | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 17.2% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 12.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 6.5% | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Solano County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 26.4% |
| 15 to 29 min | 29.7% |
| 30 to 44 min | 18.6% |
| 45 to 59 min | 9.3% |
| 60+ min | 16.1% |
What the numbers mean for Solano County borrowers
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Solano County borrowers.
- Long drives. With 25% of commutes over 45 minutes, tires and repairs are fixed costs in many Solano County budgets.
- Six-figure budgets. For the 50% earning $100,000 or more, lifestyle creep, not approval, is the usual problem.
- Tight rental budgets. With 60% of Solano County renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
Lender oversight for Solano County
Consumer lenders serving Solano County are licensed by the state, not the county; in California that is the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. See the California state guide for the statewide picture.
Checklist for Solano County applicants
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Get a written quote for whatever you are paying for in Solano County.
- Compare the total repaid on every offer, not just the payment.
- A California license check takes minutes; do it first.
- Read the final agreement; it must match the offer.
Related local guides
For statewide rules and data, see the California guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Solano County?
$100,401 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $99,122 for California. It ranks 17th of 58 in the state.
Is Solano County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $2,163 against $2,036 statewide, and 60% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Which towns does the Solano County guide cover?
Every community in the county, unincorporated areas included. The largest of its 11 Census places: Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Benicia.
Does my county matter to the questionnaire?
Only your state does. Whether you live in Solano County or elsewhere in California, the same rules apply.
Is there a Solano County office that licenses lenders?
No, licensing is statewide. In California it is the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.