Irvine receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Irvine
Santa Ana
Opportunity
66 · Top 26%
vs59 · Top 41%
Growth
53 · Bottom 48%
vs38 · Bottom 26%
Climate
100 · Top 5%
vs100 · Top 5%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs12 · Bottom 8%
Housing affordability
38 · Bottom 5%
vs43 · Bottom 9%
Access
91 · Bottom 22%
vs96 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
62 · Top 23%
vs65 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Irvine | Santa Ana | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 311,690 | 312,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $136,719 | $93,999 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,055 | $30,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,750/sq mi | 11,416/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,191,500 | $713,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,997 | $2,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 44.5% | 44.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.6% | 18.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.8% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1,703 | 312 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -46.4% | 88.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.2" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 24 mi | 16 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.6 min | 26.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.0 | 34.7 | 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.
Santa Ana
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Irvine, CA · Santa Ana, CA · How this is calculated: methodology