Irvine, CA vs San Diego, CA
Side-by-side comparison · Updated Jun 2026
Report card
| Category | IrvineIrvine, CA | San DiegoSan Diego, CA | Same grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReloScoreOverall grade | |||
| Affluence | Good | Good | |
| Cost of Living | Same | ||
| Crime | Safe | Elevated | |
| Education | |||
| Quality of Life | Great | Great | |
| Sovereignty | Moderate | Moderate | Same |
| Strategic | High Risk | High Risk | Same |
Grades rate each place against all US places. How grades work →
Comparison summary
37 mi is the distance from Irvine, CA to its nearest large city, while San Diego, CA is just 8 mi from its own, a 4.6× difference in 2023 Census figures. Violent crime rates diverge sharply: Irvine reports 78 per 100,000 people (the 15th percentile) versus San Diego's 372 (the 75th percentile), a 4.8× higher rate. Property crime also differs, with San Diego at 1,539 per 100,000, 34% higher than Irvine's 1,149. The healthcare access score gives Irvine a perfect 100/100 (90th percentile) and San Diego a 93/100 (67th percentile), a 7-point gap.
Median household income in Irvine is $129,647, 24% higher than San Diego's $104,321, and the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 70.6% in Irvine (94th percentile) versus 49.9% in San Diego (79th percentile), a 20.7-point difference. The median age is 33.9 in Irvine and 36 in San Diego, making San Diego 2.1 years older. The cost of living index is 308 in Irvine (97th percentile) and 235 in San Diego (94th percentile), with Irvine 31% higher. Median home values follow the same pattern: $1,115,400 in Irvine and $848,500 in San Diego, also 31% higher.
AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them. Generated Oct 2026.
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Where they differ most
Cost of living
| Metric | Irvine, CA | San Diego, CA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL indexCost of living index (100 = US) | 30897th pctl | 23594th pctl | Cost of living index (100 = US): Irvine, CA 308; San Diego, CA 235; Irvine is 31% higher. |
| Home valueMedian home value | $1,115,40097th pctl | $848,50094th pctl | Median home value: Irvine, CA $1,115,400; San Diego, CA $848,500; Irvine is 31% higher. |
| Median rent | $2,89398th pctl | $2,22395th pctl | Median rent: Irvine, CA $2,893; San Diego, CA $2,223; Irvine is 30% higher. |
| Household incomeMedian household income | $129,64791st pctl | $104,32180th pctl | Median household income: Irvine, CA $129,647; San Diego, CA $104,321; Irvine is 24% higher. |
| Comfortable (single)Comfortable income (single) | $154,67395th pctl | $130,15493rd pctl | Comfortable income (single): Irvine, CA $154,673; San Diego, CA $130,154; Irvine is 19% higher. |
| Comfortable (family)Comfortable income (family of 4) | $227,36995th pctl | $191,32693rd pctl | Comfortable income (family of 4): Irvine, CA $227,369; San Diego, CA $191,326; Irvine is 19% higher. |
| AffordabilityHousing affordability | Unaffordable | Unaffordable | About the same |
Housing-adjusted salary
the same housing budget in San Diego needs about
$57,200
Based only on local housing costs and incomes (cost-of-living index 308 vs 235). Leaves out taxes, groceries and transport. How it works →
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
Jobs & income
| Metric | Irvine, CA | San Diego, CA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment | 3.9%62nd pctl | 4.3%78th pctl | About the same |
| Job growthJob growth (YoY) | +1.0%46th pctl | +0.7%38th pctl | About the same |
| Per-capita income | $62,14988th pctl | $54,67883rd pctl | Per-capita income: Irvine, CA $62,149; San Diego, CA $54,678; Irvine is 14% higher. |
| Poverty rate | 11.7%51st pctl | 11.1%48th pctl | About the same |
| CommuteAverage commute | 24.3 min56th pctl | 23.9 min54th pctl | About the same |
| Work from home | 25.9%92nd pctl | 19.2%81st pctl | Work from home: Irvine, CA 25.9%; San Diego, CA 19.2%; Irvine is 6.7 points higher. |
| OpportunityEconomic opportunity | Strong | Stable | About the same |
| Job market | Strong | Stable | About the same |
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
Safety
| Metric | Irvine, CA | San Diego, CA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeViolent crime per 100k | 7815th pctl | 37275th pctl | Violent crime per 100k: Irvine, CA 78; San Diego, CA 372; San Diego is 4.8 times higher. |
| Property crimeProperty crime per 100k | 1,14939th pctl | 1,53959th pctl | Property crime per 100k: Irvine, CA 1,149; San Diego, CA 1,539; San Diego is 34% higher. |
| 5-yr trendViolent crime, 5-yr trend | Rising | Falling | |
| Crime & safety | Safe | Fair | Crime & safety: Irvine, CA B-; San Diego, CA D+; Irvine is graded higher. |
| Traffic safety | Very SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
Data: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
Quality of life
| Metric | Irvine, CA | San Diego, CA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | GreatCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | ModerateCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
| ClimateClimate comfort | Comfortable | Comfortable | About the same |
| HealthcareHealthcare access | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
| Tap water | Clean | Poor | Tap water: Irvine, CA A; San Diego, CA F; Irvine is graded higher. |
| Power grid | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | About the same |
| HomesteadingHomesteading potential | Prime | Prime | About the same |
| Disaster riskNational disaster risk | High-Risk | High-Risk | About the same |
3 rows not shown: broadband, walkability and local food access aren't available for either place.
Data: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
Taxes & laws
Both are in California, so state taxes and state laws (homeschooling, firearms, property rights) are the same. See California →
Strategic location
How exposed each place is to large-scale disruption, based on distance from big cities, likely targets and natural hazards.
| Metric | Irvine, CA | San Diego, CA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large cityNearest large city | 37 mi37th pctl | 8 mi8th pctl | Nearest large city: Irvine, CA 37 mi; San Diego, CA 8 mi; Irvine is 4.6 times higher. |
| Target proximity | Weak | Weak | About the same |
| To borderDistance to international border | 87 mi8th pctl | 20 mi2nd pctl | Distance to international border: Irvine, CA 87 mi; San Diego, CA 20 mi; Irvine is 4.4 times higher. |
| To coastDistance to coastline | 9 mi9th pctl | 5 mi6th pctl | Distance to coastline: Irvine, CA 9 mi; San Diego, CA 5 mi; Irvine is 77% higher. |
| StrategicStrategic location | High Risk | High Risk | About the same |
Data: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
People
| Metric | Irvine, CA | San Diego, CA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 308,16097th pctl | 1,385,061100th pctl | Population: Irvine, CA 308,160; San Diego, CA 1,385,061; San Diego is 4.5 times larger. |
| DensityPopulation density (per sq mi) | 4,69691st pctl | 4,24888th pctl | Population density (per sq mi): Irvine, CA 4,696; San Diego, CA 4,248; Irvine is 11% higher. |
| Median age | 33.918th pctl | 3633rd pctl | Median age: Irvine, CA 33.9; San Diego, CA 36; San Diego is 2.1 years older. |
| Bachelor's+Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.6%94th pctl | 49.9%79th pctl | Bachelor's degree or higher: Irvine, CA 70.6%; San Diego, CA 49.9%; Irvine is 20.7 points higher. |
| Household sizeAverage household size | 2.773rd pctl | 2.663rd pctl | About the same |
More about Irvine's residents · San Diego's residents
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
Politics
Information only. Not part of any grade, difference or summary on this page.
Moving between Irvine and San Diego
- Median rent: $2,893 in Irvine, $2,223 in San Diego
- Median home value: $1,115,400 in Irvine, $848,500 in San Diego
- Cost of living index (100 = US): 308 in Irvine, 235 in San Diego
- Median household income: $129,647 in Irvine, $104,321 in San Diego
- Comfortable income (family of 4): $227,369 in Irvine, $191,326 in San Diego
- Unemployment: 3.9% in Irvine, 4.3% in San Diego
- Average commute: 24.3 min in Irvine, 23.9 min in San Diego
- Violent crime per 100k: 78 in Irvine, 372 in San Diego
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- Data: Cost of living: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
- Data: Jobs & income: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
- Data: Safety: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
- Data: Quality of life: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
- Data: Strategic location: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
- Data: People: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area.
Narrative content on this page is AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them.
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