Irvine vs Lake Forest
Irvine, California versus Lake Forest, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Irvine and Lake Forest score about the same overall (47 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Irvine | Lake Forest |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $123k | $128k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $837k |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.64% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.28% | 20.40% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1 in | 15.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 277 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 277 days | 254 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 72.1 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.2 | 49.8 |
| Violent Crime | 434/100k | 427/100k |
| Property Crime | 1614/100k | 1062/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 85,583 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 40.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.62 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 35.7% | 48.9% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 2.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.2% | 23.5% |
| Asian (%) | 44.1% | 19.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 6.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 12.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 96.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.90 | 62.63 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 Irvine or Lake Forest more affordable?
- Lake Forest has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Irvine's $83k and Lake Forest's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Irvine versus $2k in Lake Forest.
- Is Irvine or Lake Forest safer?
- Lake Forest has the lower violent crime rate. Irvine reports 434/100k and Lake Forest reports 427/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Irvine or Lake Forest?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Irvine and $837k in Lake Forest, so homes are more affordable in Lake Forest.