Irvine, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Irvine

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 318,683

InvestorsBig-city amenities
Irvine, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Irvine, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Irvine stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 11.1% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $1,566,872
1-year -1.2%
5-yr CAGR +11.1%
vs 5-yr peak -1.2%
Population +0.9%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-04$1567k$679k$1002k$1325k$1649k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
55/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$3,300/mo$2,310$2,930$3,549202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent169134100120140160202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 39.6
Rent

At a 39.6 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Irvine for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
44 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
88 · w22%
Distance from peak
83 · w18%
Population growth
63 · w16%
Rent YoY
60 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
79 · w10%
Long thesis

Irvine has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,566,872 with +11.1% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Irvine carries a $1,566,872 median home with only -1.2% YoY. Premium pricing in a flat tape is the bear setup — you're paying for the trend that already ran while new buyers can't afford to extend it.

About Irvine

Irvine is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 318,683. It anchors the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. The population grew 0.9% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Irvine is $1,566,872 as of 2026-04, down 1.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +11.1% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Irvine average $3,300 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.3%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 11.1% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Held the highs: currently -1.2% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,566,872 with only -1.2% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Irvine (Wikipedia)

Irvine is a planned city in central Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was named in 1888 for the landowner James Irvine. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971. The 66-square-mile (170 km2) city had a population of 318,629 as of June 2025. As of 2025, it is the second most populous city in Orange County, fifth most in the Greater Los Angeles region, and 62nd most in the United States.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorLarry Agran (California Democratic Party)
Area65.92 sq mi
Elevation56 ft
IncorporatedDecember 28, 1971
Named forJames Irvine

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Orange County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Orange County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Irvine

27 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Shady Canyon$9,250,387+10.9%
2Orchard Hills$3,032,597-2.5%
3Laguna Altura$2,848,127+8.0%
4Turtle Ridge$2,595,576+4.2%
5Turtle Rock$2,425,525+5.9%
6Northwood Point$2,059,130-2.3%
7Stonegate$1,878,490+0.0%
8Orange County Great Park$1,754,941-6.8%
9Woodbury$1,702,894-1.9%
10Lower Peters Canyon$1,691,287-0.6%
11Northwood$1,654,331-1.2%
12Portola Springs$1,642,401-1.9%
13West Irvine$1,575,548-1.7%
14Walnut Village$1,563,961+1.4%
15Cypress Village$1,493,046+0.5%
16Quail Hill$1,490,064+1.7%
17University Park$1,489,873-2.1%
18West Park$1,487,743-0.1%
19El Camino Real$1,405,291-1.6%
20Stonegate East$1,335,601+1.7%
21Woodbury East$1,272,931-3.7%
22Woodbridge$1,265,651-0.9%
23Rancho San Joaquin$1,128,305+0.8%
24University Town Center$1,034,473+1.2%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Irvine

San Clemente, CA69 · RisingTustin, CA65 · RisingLake Forest, CA63 · RisingMission Viejo, CA66 · Rising

Run the numbers for Irvine

ToolCan I afford Irvine?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Irvine rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Irvine to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolIrvine cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Irvine listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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