Irvine, CA
Census place 0636770 · pop 311,690
A master-planned city consistently ranked among the safest large cities in the United States.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,191,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,326/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
44.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
16 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1402 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
10.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.80% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
86 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
18.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+14.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$136,719 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
70.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
19.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is Irvine, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Irvine scores 51/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Irvine, CA?
- Irvine reports 86 violent crimes per 100k and 1402 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Irvine, CA expensive to live in?
- Irvine has a median home value of $1,191,500 and typical rent around $3,326/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Irvine, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,191,500) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Irvine, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (19.2%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: A master-planned city consistently ranked among the safest large cities in the United States.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.