Irvine receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
San Diego
Irvine
Opportunity
62 · Top 37%
vs62 · Top 38%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
41 · Bottom 5%
vs38 · Bottom 3%
Access
55 · Bottom 5%
vs91 · Bottom 47%
Economic stability
63 · Top 45%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | San Diego | Irvine | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,389,526 | 311,690 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $108,077 | $136,719 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $57,083 | $64,055 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,261/sq mi | 4,750/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $906,700 | $1,191,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,313 | $2,997 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.3% | 44.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.0% | 70.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 6,010 | 1,703 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.6% | -46.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.0" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 79 mi | 24 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.2 | 34.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 288 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.80 | 26.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.5% | 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
San Diego
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Irvine
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: San Diego, CA · Irvine, CA · How this is calculated: methodology