Benicia vs Cordelia, Fairfield
Benicia carries an effective property tax rate of 1.10% of assessed value and Cordelia, Fairfield carries 1.18%, both for fiscal year 2025-26. On one identical reference loan the monthly carrying costs are $9,750 and $9,864 — $113 apart, with Benicia lower. To Oakland City Center at AM peak the fastest published commutes are 45 min by car from Benicia and 60 min by car from Cordelia, Fairfield. Every figure is an objective public metric or arithmetic on one, and names its source.
Benicia (Solano County) · Cordelia, Fairfield (Solano County)
| Metric | Benicia | Cordelia, Fairfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $480 | $380 | +$100 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.10% | 1.18% | −0.085% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,750 | $9,864 | −$113 |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — BART | 70 min | 85 min | −15 min |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — Ferry | 80 min | 95 min | −15 min |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — Drive | 60 min | 75 min | −15 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — BART | 55 min | 70 min | −15 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — Drive | 45 min | 60 min | −15 min |
| Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) — Drive | 85 min | 95 min | −10 min |
Difference is Benicia minus Cordelia, Fairfield. Sources are cited on each submarket page.
Benicia carries $100 more per square foot than Fairfield (Cordelia) — 26% — and that single spread decides most searches that start with both names on the list. The tax rates land 1.10% in Benicia against 1.18% in Fairfield (Cordelia), close enough that price per foot, not the levy, is what moves the payment.
What the same money buys
$1.4M in Cordelia is a 3,500-4,200 sq ft home in Green Valley, Rancho Solano or Paradise Valley with a three-car garage and pool. Against that, $1.4M is top of market in Benicia: a 3,000-3,500 sq ft Southampton or Waters End home with a Carquinez Strait view. At $480 and $380 per foot respectively, a fixed budget buys about 26% more floor area in Fairfield (Cordelia).
Carrying $1,600,000 in each
Holding the loan constant — $1,600,000, 20% down, 6.5% on a 30-year fixed, $2,400 of insurance, no HOA — Benicia totals $9,750 a month at 1.10% and Fairfield (Cordelia) $9,864 at 1.18% — tax lines of $1,460 and $1,573. Benicia HOAs are rare outside newer waterfront townhomes at $200-$350 a month. The Cordelia Fire District assessment shows as a separate line on the bill.
The trip each morning
To FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART): 60 minutes by driving from Benicia, 75 by driving from Fairfield (Cordelia) — a 15-minute edge to Benicia, or 2.5 hours across a ten-trip week. To Oakland City Center (12th St BART): 45 minutes by driving from Benicia, 60 by driving from Fairfield (Cordelia) — a 15-minute edge to Benicia, or 2.5 hours across a ten-trip week. Benicia's closest rail is the Vallejo ferry, 15 minutes away then 60 on the water, or Martinez Amtrak. Walnut Creek is 35 minutes from Cordelia via I-680.
Hazard and insurance
The hills above Rose Drive and the Southampton ridge are mapped moderate to high fire hazard. Green Valley and the hills west of I-680 are mapped High fire hazard. Verify any parcel against the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map, the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the California Geological Survey seismic hazard zones before removing contingencies.
Choosing between them
Benicia answers Solano or central Contra Costa work locations. Cordelia answers a Napa or Travis commute.
Sources. Rate and payment figures: Solano County Tax Rate Book FY 2025-26; Solano County Tax Rate Book FY 2025-26; City of Fairfield CFD reports, as composited in build/assets/metrics.json — unverified at tax-rate-area level, so read the bill. Minutes shown are AM-peak and door to door, from data/commute/static.csv. The per-foot medians are trailing and carry no appraisal weight; the neighborhood detail is first-hand broker observation.
Compare any two submarkets
| Metric | Benicia | Cordelia, Fairfield |
|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $480 | $380 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.10% | 1.18% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,750 | $9,864 |
| Fastest to FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) | 60 min | 75 min |
| Fastest to Oakland City Center (12th St BART) | 45 min | 60 min |
| Fastest to Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) | 85 min | 95 min |
Same reference loan on both sides; the tax line is the only variable. Commute figures are door-to-door AM-peak estimates. Sources are listed on each submarket page.
Benicia detail
| Component | Rate of assessed value |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 general levy | 1.000% |
| County / city voter-approved bonds | 0.010% |
| School district measures | 0.085% |
| Effective rate | 1.09% |
| Mello-Roos / CFD | None recorded |
Source: Solano County Tax Rate Book FY 2025-26 (Solano County), composited in
build/assets/metrics.json.
Tax Rate Area not yet verified parcel-by-parcel — confirm the rate on the parcel’s own tax bill.
Cordelia, Fairfield detail
| Component | Rate of assessed value |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 general levy | 1.000% |
| County / city voter-approved bonds | 0.010% |
| School district measures | 0.090% |
| Mello-Roos / CFD assessment | 0.080% |
| Effective rate | 1.18% |
| Mello-Roos / CFD | Yes |
Source: Solano County Tax Rate Book FY 2025-26; City of Fairfield CFD reports (Solano County), composited in
build/assets/metrics.json.
Tax Rate Area not yet verified parcel-by-parcel — confirm the rate on the parcel’s own tax bill.
Benicia vs Cordelia, Fairfield: questions and answers
- Which has the lower effective property tax rate, Benicia or Cordelia, Fairfield?
- Benicia, at 1.10% of assessed value against 1.18% for fiscal year 2025-26 — a gap of 0.080%. Rates are composited from county tax rate books; each parcel bill governs.
- How much do monthly carrying costs differ between Benicia and Cordelia, Fairfield?
- $113 per month on the identical reference loan: Benicia $9,750, Cordelia, Fairfield $9,864. Benicia is lower. Principal and interest are held constant, so the difference is the tax line. Arithmetic only.
- Which has the shorter commute to Oakland City Center, Benicia or Cordelia, Fairfield?
- Benicia. Benicia is 45 min by car; Cordelia, Fairfield is 60 min by car. Door-to-door, AM peak. Source: data/commute/static.csv.
- What is the price per square foot difference between Benicia and Cordelia, Fairfield?
- $100 per square foot: Benicia $480, Cordelia, Fairfield $380. Single-family medians, trailing twelve months. A median is not a valuation of any specific property.