Fairview is a census-designated place (CDP) in unincorporated Alameda County, California, United States, in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose Metropolitan Statistical Area by the US Census.
A mix of suburban bedroom community and low-density, multi-acre rural properties backed up against vast open space, Fairview borders the census-designated place of Castro Valley to the north and east, and the city of Hayward to the west. Fairview's population was 11,341 at the 2020 census.
History
Early and Indigenous History The hills that now form Fairview were part of the homeland of the Ohlone people, specifically the Chochenyo-speaking Muwekma band, who maintained villages and seasonal camps throughout the East Bay.
In 1843, the land was included in the Rancho San Lorenzo, a Mexican land grant awarded to Guillermo (William) Castro. The rancho extended over what are now Hayward, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and the surrounding hills, including Fairview. Following the American annexation of California, legal disputes and financial pressures forced Castro to sell off much of the rancho during the 1850s and 1860s, opening the area to American and European settlers.
A notable early landmark was the “Lone Tree,” which by the 19th century gave its name to Lone Tree Cemetery.
The Hayward Fault Zone runs directly through the Fairview Hills. The 1868 Hayward earthquake destroyed the Alameda County Courthouse and reshaped settlement patterns in the East Bay.
19th Century
After the breakup of Rancho San Lorenzo, the Fairview Hills were settled as small ranches and farms. These were tied to the agricultural economy of Eden Township. Early farming focused on grains, shifting later to orchards and specialty crops.
Established in 1868, The Lone Tree Cemetery is located within Fairview, though it is often incorrectly cited as being within Hayward. Lone Tree is the burial site for William Dutton Hayward, the namesake of Hayward, as well as Bob Sweikert (winner of the 1955 Indianapolis 500), and The Wizard of Oz actor Charlie Becker. Lone Tree Cemetery has hosted an annual Memorial Day observance since 1903, considered one of the oldest continuous ceremonies of its kind in southern Alameda County. The Lone Tree Cemetery became an important institution for hillside residents and surrounding communities.
20th Century
By the early 20th century, agriculture in Eden Township diversified further. Poultry and egg production became a defining industry, particularly in nearby Castro Valley and the hills around Fairview. Public service districts were formed to provide infrastructure to unincorporated areas. The Castro Valley Sanitary District was established in 1911, followed by other independent districts serving water, fire protection, and other needs.
During and after World War II, the Bay Area's wartime shipbuilding boom at Richmond Shipyards, Kaiser Shipyards, and Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park created a surge in housing demand. Many farms in the Eden area were subdivided for suburban housing, and the hills around Fairview saw significant residential development.
The Fairview Fire Protection District (FFPD) was established to provide local fire services and remains a small, independent district covering about four square miles.
21st Century
Fairview today is primarily a residential community, with suburban lots and rural and semi-rural properties along the ridges. Alameda County adopted the original Fairview Area Specific Plan in 1980, updated it in 1997, and adopted a new plan in 2021.
Recognition as a Census-designated place
The Census Bureau defines census-designated places (CDPs) to tabulate data for unincorporated communities that resemble cities or towns but lack municipal governments. Fairview has been listed as a CDP in Census publications since at least 1990.
Governance and annexation
Fairview is unincorporated and falls within the sphere of influence of the City of Hayward, as determined by the Alameda Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo). Although Hayward provides some out-of-area utility services, annexation has not occurred due to fiscal and governance challenges and lack of support among residents. LAFCo studies, including a 2024 feasibility review of possible Castro Valley–Fairview incorporations, have concluded that incorporation or annexation scenarios would likely be financially infeasible.
Fairview residents have consistently and repeatedly voiced opposition to annexation into the City of Hayward, citing a desire to preserve the community's single‑family residential character, among other reasons. The Fairview Area Specific Plan Background Report remarks that residents have “worked to protect the neighborhood’s single‑family character” and were explicitly “against annexation of Fairview into Hayward.”
Fairview continues to rely on special districts such as the Fairview Fire Protection District and county-level planning under the Fairview Area Specific Plan. These arrangements, along with local advisory representation through the Fairview Municipal Advisory Council, have allowed the community to remain unincorporated rather than annex into Hayward.
Geography and climate According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which, is land and (0.80%) is water.
The terrain is hilly to gently rolling, with elevations ranging from 200 feet near the Don Castro Regional Recreation Area (a park within the East Bay Regional Park District) to nearly 1,100 feet along Fairview Avenue.
Climate Like much of the East Bay, Fairview has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Official 1991–2020 climate normals from the local weather station at nearby Hayward Executive Airport indicate warm summer afternoons and cool nights, and a cool season with most precipitation from November through March; annual precipitation at the airport averages about 18 inches, with somewhat higher totals at the higher elevations in the Fairview hills.
Geology and seismic risk
Fairview lies along the Hayward Fault Zone, a major right-lateral strike-slip fault that runs through the East Bay Hills. The fault is considered one of the most seismically hazardous in the United States, with a high probability of producing a major earthquake in coming decades. The 1868 Hayward earthquake, estimated at magnitude 6.8–7.0, caused widespread damage throughout Alameda County and reshaped local settlement patterns. Evidence of ongoing fault creep and offset can be observed along streets, curbs, and structures in the Hayward–Castro Valley–Fairview area.
Demographics
Fairview first appeared as a census-designated place in the 1990 United States census.
Racial and ethnic composition
+Fairview CDP, California – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)4,6213,6183,33148.80%36.17%29.37%Black or African American alone (NH)1,9012,0471,70320.07%20.46%15.02%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2945150.31%0.45%0.13%Asian alone (NH)9491,4842,18710.02%14.84%19.28%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)601141590.63%1.14%1.40%Other race alone (NH)3423960.36%0.23%0.85%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)4435018304.68%5.01%7.32%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,4332,1713,02015.13%21.70%26.63%Total9,47010,00311,341 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Fairview had a population of 11,341 and a population density of .
The age distribution was 19.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% aged 18 to 24, 27.8% aged 25 to 44, 27.2% aged 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 41.3years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The Census reported that 98.8% of the population lived in households, 0.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.5% were institutionalized. 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,756 households, out of which 32.2% included children under the age of 18, 54.6% were married-couple households, 6.2% were cohabiting couple households, 23.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 16.0% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 17.9% of households were one person, and 7.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.98, and there were 2,837 families (75.5% of all households).
There were 3,871 housing units at an average density of . Of the housing units, 3.0% were vacant and 97.0% were occupied; of occupied units, 76.9% were owner-occupied and 23.1% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.1%.
Demographic estimates
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 26.5% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 63.6% spoke only English at home, 16.3% spoke Spanish, 13.2% spoke other Indo-European languages, 6.3% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.6% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 92.4% were high school graduates and 41.9% had a bachelor's degree.
Income and poverty
The median household income was $148,801, and the per capita income was $59,469.
Crime As an unincorporated CDP, Fairview does not have its own police department; law enforcement is provided by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol.
Crime reporting is aggregated through countywide and broader municipal area data, but third-party analyses offer rough estimates. CrimeGrade.org gives Fairview a “C” grade for violent crime, with an estimated violent crime rate of 3.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, slightly higher than the national average. Property crime rates are somewhat elevated relative to national averages. In contrast, AreaVibes reports that overall crime in Fairview is about 53% lower than the national average. These figures must be interpreted cautiously, as methodologies differ, and official crime data is reported only at the county level—it does not breakout specific CDPs.
Government As an unincorporated community in Alameda County, Fairview has no city or town council and no municipal government. It is represented locally by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 4. The Fairview Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) was established in 2017 with five appointed members to advocate for Fairview interests and advise the county Board of Supervisors on all matters concerning the community.
Public safety Law enforcement services are provided by the California Highway Patrol and Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
Fire services are provided through the Fairview Fire Protection District (FFPD), an independent special district in Alameda County formed in 1938. Since 1993, FFPD has subcontracted its operations to the Hayward Fire Department. Under the contract, Hayward staffs two fire stations and provides various services, including fire suppression, emergency medical services, auto accident rescue, and hazardous material response. The special district owns its own fire equipment and maintains Station 8 on Five Canyons Blvd and a storage station on Fairview Ave; Hayward provides all administrative and operational services and staffs Station 9 on Second Street. The contract was most recently renewed in 2021 and expires in 2026.
Infrastructure and utilities Water service in Fairview is provided primarily by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), with some properties being served by Hayward's municipal water service. Sewer service is handled by the Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan), which manages collection and treatment for the surrounding Eden area. Many of the more rural properties in Fairview maintain their own septic systems.