California Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Vacaville, California

Population: 96,735

Located in Solano County

Vacaville, California, home to nearly 97,000 residents was founded as an agricultural and rail shipping center. Vacaville is developing substantial retail and commercial activity on solid, well-considered residential growth. Vacaville's population is well-educated, commutes an average of 24 minutes to work, and earns an average household income of $45,133.

The unemployment rate in Vacaville is one of the lowest in Solano County, and the city is home to the world¹s largest bio-manufacturing plant in the world, Genentech, as well as several other life sciences and biotech companies. A new three-building office project recently opened, bringing more than 600 new jobs to the community

The Vacaville Unified School District currently operates a total of 24 schools, including 11 elementary schools, one intermediate school, two junior high schools and two high schools. Travis Unified School District includes two schools. Private education is provided by eight pre-schools, four grade schools, one special education school and one business vocational school. Vacaville is also a short drive from UC Davis, Sacramento State University and any number of educational facilities in the San Francisco and Sacramento regions.

The housing market in Vacaville is fairly stable, with a nice mix of single family homes, apartments, and other forms of housing. Vacaville has an area of the city designated for seniors 55 and over, and recently celebrated the opening of a new senior housing project with more than 60 rooms and affordable rents. The housing stock has always been affordable, which is part of what makes this city so attractive to people raising a family. Vacaville is strategically located midway between Sacramento and San Francisco and all that metropolitan cities have to offer.

Vacaville is also known as ³Voltageville,² with more electric cars per capita than any city in the U.S. The city is also involved in an alternative fuel vehicle program, which provides financial incentives to those residents who purchase natural gas-powered Honda Civics. Solar panels are installed on several city buildings, and the city¹s two newest buildings were built with state-of-the-art energy-conserving technology.

There isn¹t a weekend that goes by without a community event taking place somewhere in Vacaville, hosted either by the city, the Downtown Association, the Convention and Visitors Bureau or some other civic group. From the annual Recreation Expo to a variety of downtown events, including the Chili Challenge, Creekwalk Concert Series, Holiday Tree Lighting and Fiesta Days Parade and Celebration, a myriad of events are held in Vacaville. There is also the 499-seat Vacaville performing Arts Theatre, which has hosted some of the top names in entertainment as well as serving as a venue for numerous local productions. The Vacaville Museum also offers a glimpse into the rich past of the city.

Some of the best parks in California can be found in Vacaville, and each neighborhood boasts its own spot to relax, have a picnic, play catch or just enjoy being outdoors. Vacaville also has an ice skating rink and a gymnastics program.

Vacaville also boasts two Crime Suppression Teams, which perform several sweeps throughout the year to check on a variety of issues, including parolee compliance. This effort keeps the crime rate at one of the lowest in the state and even the nation for a city of this size. Collaborating with the local school district and county officials, Vacaville approaches crime at a grass-roots level, working to reduce the rate or recidivism among the younger members of the community. The city offers a variety of classes to residents, including Refuse to be a Victim training, Citizens¹ Police Academy, and Vacaville Community Emergency Response Team training.