Brea vs Irvine
Brea, California versus Irvine, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Brea and Irvine score about the same overall (44 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Brea | Irvine |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $120k | $123k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $835k | $1.0M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.74% | 0.85% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.35% | 23.28% |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 5.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.5 in | 14.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 277 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 193 days | 277 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 91.1 | 85.8 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 50.3 | 56.2 |
| Violent Crime | 567/100k | 434/100k |
| Property Crime | 3247/100k | 1614/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 47,099 | 304,527 |
| Median Age | 39.7 | 33.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.64 | 0.63 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 37.9% | 35.7% |
| Black (%) | 0.8% | 1.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 31.1% | 11.2% |
| Asian (%) | 25.6% | 44.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.5% | 7.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 31 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 13.9/20 | 14.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.9% | 95.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 65.61 | 28.90 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Brea or Irvine more affordable?
- Irvine has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Brea's $83k and Irvine's $83k. Median rent is $2k in Brea versus $3k in Irvine.
- Is Brea or Irvine safer?
- Irvine has the lower violent crime rate. Brea reports 567/100k and Irvine reports 434/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Brea or Irvine?
- The median home value is $835k in Brea and $1.0M in Irvine, so homes are more affordable in Brea.