What it's like to live in Suisun City

Suisun City is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Suisun City deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and college degree attainment below the national average.

The good

  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Clean air

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Above-average commute times
  • Low college degree attainment
  • High student-teacher ratio
  • High rent burden for renters

How Suisun City compares

Median household income

Suisun City$94,787
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Suisun City$2,157
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Suisun City$579,500
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Suisun City

Based on Suisun City's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,314

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $86,280 a year
  • 53% of Suisun City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$115,900

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $57,950
  • Homes cost 6.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 53% above US

$2,157/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,157 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $579,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $579,500 · 53% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▲ 21% above US

5.2% unemployment

Unemployment here is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 19% below US

267 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 1420/100k · Suisun City Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 23% above US

32 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.9 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
82%
Carpool
8.7%
Work from home
6.8%
Walk
1.3%
Other
1.2%
Public transit
0.4%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
30°50°70°90°5.5"Jan: 4.68" precipitationFeb: 4.97" precipitationMar: 3.31" precipitationApr: 1.47" precipitationMay: 0.74" precipitationJun: 0.19" precipitationJul: 0.00" precipitationAug: 0.03" precipitationSep: 0.08" precipitationOct: 1.11" precipitationNov: 2.55" precipitationDec: 5.40" precipitationJJan: high 57°F, low 40°FFFeb: high 62°F, low 43°FMMar: high 66°F, low 45°FAApr: high 71°F, low 48°FMMay: high 78°F, low 52°FJJun: high 85°F, low 56°F90°JJul: high 90°F, low 58°FAAug: high 89°F, low 58°FSSep: high 87°F, low 57°FOOct: high 78°F, low 52°FNNov: high 66°F, low 45°F40°DDec: high 57°F, low 40°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▼ 41% below US

21% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 25:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (13 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Suisun City'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 ($2,157/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.

See all the data for Suisun City →·All California cities →

Other places near Suisun City

All California guides →

Not sure Suisun City is the one?

Put it side by side with another city.

Compare Suisun City →