Irvine receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Palmdale
Irvine
Opportunity
30 · Bottom 6%
vs62 · Top 38%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
61 · Bottom 17%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs38 · Bottom 3%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 32%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Palmdale | Irvine | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 164,634 | 311,690 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,770 | $136,719 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,441 | $64,055 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,552/sq mi | 4,750/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $471,000 | $1,191,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,802 | $2,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 44.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 70.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 472 | 1,703 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 391.7% | -46.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 98°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 5.9" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 24 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 41.5 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.0 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 45 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.09 | 26.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 73.4% | 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
Palmdale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Irvine
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Palmdale, CA · Irvine, CA · How this is calculated: methodology