Irvine vs Santa Ana
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $713,000 in Santa Ana and $1,191,500 in Irvine.
- Households earn more in Irvine ($136,719 vs $93,999 median).
- Irvine is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs +1.6%.
Side by side
| Irvine, CA | Santa Ana, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 318,764 | 315,586 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | +1.6% |
| People per square mile | 4,858 | 11,528 |
| Median age | 34.0 | 34.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71% | 18% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $136,719 | $93,999 |
| Median home value | $1,191,500 | $713,000 |
| Home value to income | 8.7× | 7.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,997 | $2,082 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 45% | 45% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.7 | 24.5 |
| Work from home | 28% | 9% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 4.8% |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 10.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 67° / 49° | 69° / 49° |
| July high / low | 79° / 66° | 83° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 13 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +45.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Irvine: January to December. Santa Ana: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Irvine weather by month and Santa Ana weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Irvine and $85,200 in Santa Ana. Moving from Irvine to Santa Ana, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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