Danville vs Cordelia, Fairfield
Danville carries an effective property tax rate of 1.07% 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 $9,713 and $9,864 — $151 apart, with Danville lower. To Oakland City Center at AM peak the fastest published commutes are 42 min by BART from Danville and 60 min by car from Cordelia, Fairfield. Every figure is an objective public metric or arithmetic on one, and names its source.
Danville (Contra Costa County) · Cordelia, Fairfield (Solano County)
| Metric | Danville | Cordelia, Fairfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $900 | $380 | +$520 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.07% | 1.18% | −0.113% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,713 | $9,864 | −$151 |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — BART | 60 min | 85 min | −25 min |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — Drive | 65 min | 75 min | −10 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — BART | 42 min | 70 min | −28 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — Drive | 42 min | 60 min | −18 min |
| Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) — Drive | 55 min | 95 min | −40 min |
Difference is Danville minus Cordelia, Fairfield. Sources are cited on each submarket page.
Fairfield (Cordelia) is the cheaper foot by $520, 58% below Danville. What that buys is a different house, not a different bill: at $1,600,000 the two are $151 apart a month at 1.07% and 1.18%.
Square footage per dollar
$1.4M in Danville is a 2,000-2,400 sq ft four-bedroom from the 1970s-80s on a quarter acre, often with a pool. The Cordelia sweet spot is $700K-$900K for 2,200-2,800 sq ft built 1995-2010. At $900 and $380 per foot respectively, a fixed budget buys about 137% more floor area in Fairfield (Cordelia).
The monthly, matched
Holding the loan constant — $1,600,000, 20% down, 6.5% on a 30-year fixed, $2,400 of insurance, no HOA — Danville totals $9,713 a month at 1.07% and Fairfield (Cordelia) $9,864 at 1.18% — tax lines of $1,423 and $1,573. Greenbrook and Sycamore HOAs run $30-$100 a month; Blackhawk runs $300-$500 for the gate and commons. Cordelia HOAs run $50-$150 a month, with gated Rancho Solano and Eastridge higher.
The trip each morning
To Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain): 55 minutes by driving from Danville, 95 by driving from Fairfield (Cordelia) — a 40-minute edge to Danville, or 6.7 hours across a ten-trip week. To Oakland City Center (12th St BART): 42 minutes by BART from Danville, 60 by driving from Fairfield (Cordelia) — a 18-minute edge to Danville, or 3.0 hours across a ten-trip week. I-680 to 24 puts Danville 55 minutes from the Bay Bridge at 6 a.m. and 90 at 8. The Fairfield-Vacaville Capitol Corridor station is 15 minutes from Cordelia, then 65 minutes to Emeryville.
Hazard and insurance
West of I-680 along the Las Trampas ridge, Danville is mapped High fire hazard. Cordelia hill non-renewals are live, with FAIR Plan quotes of $3K-$6K a year. Pull the parcel's own mapping — CAL FIRE severity zone, FEMA flood panel, CGS liquefaction zone — and get a written quote before the contingency date.
Choosing between them
Danville assumes Tri-Valley work or acceptance of a 60-plus minute run to San Francisco. Cordelia fits a 3,000-plus square foot requirement with a three-car garage. Write the requirement down before the search: these two answer different ones.
Sources. Effective rates and carrying costs: Contra Costa TRA Book FY 2025-26; Solano County Tax Rate Book FY 2025-26; City of Fairfield CFD reports, 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. Median price per foot is a trailing figure, not a valuation, and the local detail comes from the broker's own transactions.
Compare any two submarkets
| Metric | Danville | Cordelia, Fairfield |
|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $900 | $380 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.07% | 1.18% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,713 | $9,864 |
| Fastest to FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) | 60 min | 75 min |
| Fastest to Oakland City Center (12th St BART) | 42 min | 60 min |
| Fastest to Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) | 55 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.
Danville detail
| Component | Rate of assessed value |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 general levy | 1.000% |
| County / city voter-approved bonds | 0.012% |
| School district measures | 0.055% |
| Effective rate | 1.07% |
| Mello-Roos / CFD | None recorded |
Source: Contra Costa TRA Book FY 2025-26 (Contra Costa 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.
Danville vs Cordelia, Fairfield: questions and answers
- Which has the lower effective property tax rate, Danville or Cordelia, Fairfield?
- Danville, at 1.07% of assessed value against 1.18% for fiscal year 2025-26 — a gap of 0.110%. Rates are composited from county tax rate books; each parcel bill governs.
- How much do monthly carrying costs differ between Danville and Cordelia, Fairfield?
- $151 per month on the identical reference loan: Danville $9,713, Cordelia, Fairfield $9,864. Danville 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, Danville or Cordelia, Fairfield?
- Danville. Danville is 42 min by BART; 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 Danville and Cordelia, Fairfield?
- $520 per square foot: Danville $900, Cordelia, Fairfield $380. Single-family medians, trailing twelve months. A median is not a valuation of any specific property.