What it's like to live in Dixon
Dixon is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dixon deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Dixon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dixon
Based on Dixon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,718
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $74,360 a year
- 38% of Dixon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$120,960
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $60,480
- Homes cost 5.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 32% above US
$1,859/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,859 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $604,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $604,800 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Solano County is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Solano County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 16% below US
278 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 974/100k · Dixon Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (29 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dixon's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,859/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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