Irvine vs Montclair
Irvine, California versus Montclair, 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 Montclair score about the same overall (47 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Irvine | Montclair |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $123k | $73k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $485k |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.55% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.28% | 19.86% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 56°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1 in | 14.5 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 | 143 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 86.8 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 57 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.2 | 71.9 |
| Violent Crime | 434/100k | 1160/100k |
| Property Crime | 1614/100k | 4138/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 37,842 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 32.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.74 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 35.7% | 10.8% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.2% | 71.2% |
| Asian (%) | 44.1% | 10.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 2.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 13.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 29 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 89.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.90 | 130.54 |
| 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 Montclair more affordable?
- Montclair has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Irvine's $83k and Montclair's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Irvine versus $2k in Montclair.
- Is Irvine or Montclair safer?
- Irvine has the lower violent crime rate. Irvine reports 434/100k and Montclair reports 1160/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Irvine or Montclair?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Irvine and $485k in Montclair, so homes are more affordable in Montclair.