Cypress and Irvine receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Cypress
Irvine
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs62 · Top 38%
Growth
43 · Bottom 37%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 7%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
55 · Bottom 15%
vs38 · Bottom 3%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Cypress | Irvine | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,498 | 311,690 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $130,215 | $136,719 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $51,859 | $64,055 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,484/sq mi | 4,750/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $913,900 | $1,191,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,483 | $2,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 44.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.7% | 70.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.6% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 43 | 1,703 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 10.3% | -46.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.9" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 24 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.2 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.4 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 26.15 | 26.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.7% | 37.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Cypress
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Irvine
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Cypress, CA · Irvine, CA · How this is calculated: methodology