Irvine vs Newport Beach
Irvine, California versus Newport Beach, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Newport Beach edges out Irvine on overall objective livability (51 vs 47 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Irvine | Newport Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $123k | $149k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $2.0M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.50% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.28% | 22.91% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 4.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1 in | 9.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 256 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 277 days | 314 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 72.3 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.2 | 83.6 |
| Violent Crime | 434/100k | 767/100k |
| Property Crime | 1614/100k | 2078/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 85,159 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 46.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.35 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 35.7% | 76.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.2% | 10.5% |
| Asian (%) | 44.1% | 8.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 4.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 13.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 4 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 94.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.90 | 73.63 |
| 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 Newport Beach more affordable?
- Newport Beach has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Irvine's $83k and Newport Beach's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Irvine versus $3k in Newport Beach.
- Is Irvine or Newport Beach safer?
- Irvine has the lower violent crime rate. Irvine reports 434/100k and Newport Beach reports 767/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Irvine or Newport Beach?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Irvine and $2.0M in Newport Beach, so homes are more affordable in Irvine.