Highland vs Irvine
Highland, 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.
Irvine edges out Highland on overall objective livability (47 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Highland | Irvine |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $72k | $123k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $418k | $1.0M |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.82% | 0.85% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.94% | 23.28% |
| Unemployment | 6.0% | 5.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 54°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.9 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 | 141 days | 277 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 91.5 | 85.8 |
| Air Quality | 71 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 58.8 | 56.2 |
| Violent Crime | 1263/100k | 434/100k |
| Property Crime | 1322/100k | 1614/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 56,789 | 304,527 |
| Median Age | 33.0 | 33.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.70 | 0.63 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 22.7% | 35.7% |
| Black (%) | 6.8% | 1.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 58.9% | 11.2% |
| Asian (%) | 8.3% | 44.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 7.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 10.8/20 | 14.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 51 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.2% | 95.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 42.61 | 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 Highland or Irvine more affordable?
- Irvine has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Highland's $83k and Irvine's $83k. Median rent is $1k in Highland versus $3k in Irvine.
- Is Highland or Irvine safer?
- Irvine has the lower violent crime rate. Highland reports 1263/100k and Irvine reports 434/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Highland or Irvine?
- The median home value is $418k in Highland and $1.0M in Irvine, so homes are more affordable in Highland.