San Jose receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Irvine
San Jose
Opportunity
66 · Top 26%
vs75 · Top 14%
Growth
53 · Bottom 48%
vs62 · Top 29%
Climate
100 · Top 5%
vs89 · Top 11%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs25 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
38 · Bottom 5%
vs49 · Bottom 12%
Access
91 · Bottom 22%
vs99 · Top 10%
Economic stability
62 · Top 23%
vs69 · Top 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Irvine | San Jose | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 311,690 | 990,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $136,719 | $146,427 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,055 | $65,945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,750/sq mi | 5,564/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,191,500 | $1,233,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,997 | $2,669 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.5% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.6% | 47.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 8.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,703 | 4,891 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -46.4% | 239.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.2" | 13.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.0 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Irvine
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
San Jose
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Irvine, CA · San Jose, CA · How this is calculated: methodology