Bay Farm Island, Alameda vs Vacaville
Bay Farm Island, Alameda carries an effective property tax rate of 1.22% of assessed value and Vacaville carries 1.09%, both for fiscal year 2025-26. On one identical reference loan the monthly carrying costs are $9,917 and $9,737 — $180 apart, with Vacaville lower. To Oakland City Center at AM peak the fastest published commutes are 20 min by car from Bay Farm Island, Alameda and 70 min by car from Vacaville. Every figure is an objective public metric or arithmetic on one, and names its source.
Bay Farm Island, Alameda (Alameda County) · Vacaville (Solano County)
| Metric | Bay Farm Island, Alameda | Vacaville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $750 | $360 | +$390 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.22% | 1.09% | +0.135% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,917 | $9,737 | +$180 |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — BART | 45 min | 95 min | −50 min |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — Ferry | 35 min | 105 min | −70 min |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — Drive | 40 min | 85 min | −45 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — BART | 35 min | 80 min | −45 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — Drive | 20 min | 70 min | −50 min |
| Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) — Drive | 55 min | 105 min | −50 min |
Difference is Bay Farm Island, Alameda minus Vacaville. Sources are cited on each submarket page.
Vacaville is the cheaper foot by $390, 52% below Alameda (Bay Farm). What that buys is a different house, not a different bill: at $1,600,000 the two are $180 apart a month at 1.22% and 1.09%.
Square footage per dollar
Under $1M on Bay Farm means a townhome or the older tracts west of Island Drive. The same $1.4M buys a new 3,500 sq ft Roberts Ranch or Southtown build with a three-car garage. The median foot costs $750 in Alameda (Bay Farm) against $360 in Vacaville; on a 2,000 sq ft house that is $780,000 of purchase price.
The monthly, matched
Against an identical $1,600,000 note at 6.5% with 20% down and $2,400 a year of coverage, Alameda (Bay Farm) totals $9,917 a month at 1.22% and Vacaville $9,737 at 1.09% — tax lines of $1,627 and $1,447. Harbor Bay Isle dues run $150-$200 a month depending on the village. The 1990s Vacaville core and Browns Valley generally carry no Mello-Roos.
Commute, measured
To FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART): 35 minutes by ferry from Alameda (Bay Farm), 85 by driving from Vacaville — a 50-minute edge to Alameda (Bay Farm), or 8.3 hours across a ten-trip week. To Oakland City Center (12th St BART): 20 minutes by driving from Alameda (Bay Farm), 70 by driving from Vacaville — a 50-minute edge to Alameda (Bay Farm), or 8.3 hours across a ten-trip week. Doolittle to I-880 or the Posey Tube gets Bay Farm to Oakland City Center in 15 minutes off-peak; the tube backs up 7:30-9:00. From Vacaville, Sacramento is 40 minutes, Davis 20, Travis AFB 15 and Napa 35 via Highway 121.
Fire, flood and the premium
Standard fire carriers are still writing Bay Farm without the hills' non-renewal wave. The Vacaville city flats are not WUI; Alamo Creek and Ulatis Creek flood mapping touches the older core. None of this substitutes for the parcel: check CAL FIRE zoning, the FEMA flood panel and CGS seismic hazard mapping, then price the policy in writing.
Which search this actually is
Bay Farm works for a buyer who wants lagoon access and level ground. Vacaville assumes the Bay Bridge is an occasional trip, not a daily one.
Sources. Effective rates and carrying costs: Alameda County Tax Rates by TRA FY 2025-26; Solano County Tax Rate Book FY 2025-26, composited in build/assets/metrics.json; TRA-level verification pending, so confirm the rate on the parcel's own bill. Commute times: door-to-door AM-peak estimates, data/commute/static.csv. Price per square foot is a trailing median and is not an appraisal. Qualitative detail is the broker's own field observation.
Compare any two submarkets
| Metric | Bay Farm Island, Alameda | Vacaville |
|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $750 | $360 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.22% | 1.09% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,917 | $9,737 |
| Fastest to FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) | 35 min | 85 min |
| Fastest to Oakland City Center (12th St BART) | 20 min | 70 min |
| Fastest to Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) | 55 min | 105 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.
Bay Farm Island, Alameda detail
| Component | Rate of assessed value |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 general levy | 1.000% |
| County / city voter-approved bonds | 0.042% |
| School district measures | 0.178% |
| Effective rate | 1.22% |
| Mello-Roos / CFD | None recorded |
Source: Alameda County Tax Rates by TRA FY 2025-26 (Alameda 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.
Vacaville detail
| Component | Rate of assessed value |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 general levy | 1.000% |
| County / city voter-approved bonds | 0.010% |
| School district measures | 0.075% |
| Effective rate | 1.08% |
| 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.
Bay Farm Island, Alameda vs Vacaville: questions and answers
- Which has the lower effective property tax rate, Bay Farm Island, Alameda or Vacaville?
- Vacaville, at 1.09% of assessed value against 1.22% for fiscal year 2025-26 — a gap of 0.130%. Rates are composited from county tax rate books; each parcel bill governs.
- How much do monthly carrying costs differ between Bay Farm Island, Alameda and Vacaville?
- $180 per month on the identical reference loan: Bay Farm Island, Alameda $9,917, Vacaville $9,737. Vacaville 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, Bay Farm Island, Alameda or Vacaville?
- Bay Farm Island, Alameda. Bay Farm Island, Alameda is 20 min by car; Vacaville is 70 min by car. Door-to-door, AM peak. Source: data/commute/static.csv.
- What is the price per square foot difference between Bay Farm Island, Alameda and Vacaville?
- $390 per square foot: Bay Farm Island, Alameda $750, Vacaville $360. Single-family medians, trailing twelve months. A median is not a valuation of any specific property.