Lake Forest vs Irvine
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $937,000 in Lake Forest and $1,191,500 in Irvine.
- Lake Forest has more scorching days: 35 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 13.
- Irvine is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs +0.5%.
Side by side
| Lake Forest, CA | Irvine, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 86,333 | 318,764 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.5% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 5,165 | 4,858 |
| Median age | 40.2 | 34.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51% | 71% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $135,175 | $136,719 |
| Median home value | $937,000 | $1,191,500 |
| Home value to income | 6.9× | 8.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,672 | $2,997 |
| 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 | 71% | 45% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.5 | 24.7 |
| Work from home | 24% | 28% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.9% | 5.9% |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 10.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 43° | 67° / 49° |
| July high / low | 85° / 61° | 79° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 11 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 35 | 13 |
| Nights below freezing | 2 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 10 | 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: Lake Forest: October to July. Irvine: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Lake Forest weather by month and Irvine 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 Lake Forest and $85,200 in Irvine. Moving from Lake Forest to Irvine, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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