Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Fremont's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Fremont?
Your $100,000 in Fremont has the same purchasing power as $66,423 in the average US city. You'd need $33,577 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Fremont's cost index of 151, sorted by closest match.
If you're weighing a move to Fremont, the short answer is that the city has a few genuine arguments going for it — most obviously paychecks here run high and the weather doesn't punish you, plus 1 more things worth knowing. Here's the longer version.
Median household income in Fremont is $169,023 — well above the US median of roughly $75k. It's a city where high-paying industries (tech, finance, professional services) cluster, and the income distribution tilts noticeably upward relative to most of the country.
Summers in Fremont average about 80°F, winters around 42°F. That's the band where you get distinct seasons without either end being miserable — a real spring and fall, summers warm enough for the pool, winters cold enough for a jacket but not for survival gear.
62% of adults 25 and over in Fremont hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from Fremont's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Now and then. Fremont's winters are cool rather than truly cold — about 42°F on average — so most of the precipitation falls as rain. A snowy morning happens a few times a season; sustained accumulation is rare.
Mild on the cold side. Fremont's winter average of about 42°F is the kind of weather where you want a jacket but the heating bill is manageable. Snow is rare, frost is occasional, and the lawn never really browns out.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Fremont runs about 80°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Approximately USDA Hardiness Zone 9. That's the band gardeners use to pick plants — anything rated for Zone 9 or colder should survive a typical winter in Fremont. (The estimate is derived from our winter-temperature data; the official USDA map uses station-level annual minimums and may differ by half a zone.)
Fremont sits at about 33 feet (10 m) above sea level — low-lying, but with enough cushion that day-to-day life isn't affected by ocean levels.
Average for an American city. Fremont's reported crime rate of about 3,113 per 100,000 residents sits roughly in line with the US baseline of ~3,500. Like anywhere else, the citywide number masks real differences between neighborhoods — worth looking at specific areas before deciding.
Yes — Fremont is one of the more expensive places to live in the US. The cost-of-living index is 151, about 51% above the national average. Housing is the dominant factor, and salaries here have to be high to compensate.
Not really — Fremont is built around the car. Its Walk Score of 15 out of 100 means almost every errand is a drive. Transit Score is 45 out of 100. Living without a car is technically possible but real work; most residents wouldn't try it.
Roughly $105,385 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Fremont runs about $2,824/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.