Irvine vs Santa Clara
The short version
- Santa Clara is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Irvine area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $1,191,500 in Irvine and $1,582,600 in Santa Clara.
- Households earn more in Santa Clara ($178,958 vs $136,719 median).
- Irvine has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 60°F.
Side by side
| Irvine, CA | Santa Clara, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 318,764 | 133,446 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | +4.3% |
| People per square mile | 4,858 | 7,301 |
| Median age | 34.0 | 34.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71% | 66% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $136,719 | $178,958 |
| Median home value | $1,191,500 | $1,582,600 |
| Home value to income | 8.7× | 8.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,997 | $3,016 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 110.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 211.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $82,800 |
| Homeowners | 45% | 41% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.7 | 22.6 |
| Work from home | 28% | 26% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 8.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 67° / 49° | 60° / 42° |
| July high / low | 79° / 66° | 81° / 58° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 13 | 16 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 3 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 10 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 92% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +27.4% |
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 Clara: February to November.
Full monthly tables: Irvine weather by month and Santa Clara 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 $82,800 in Santa Clara. Moving from Irvine to Santa Clara, you would need about $72,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Irvine and Santa Clara
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Irvine and Santa Clara.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.