Irvine vs Norco
Irvine, California versus Norco, 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 Norco score about the same overall (47 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Irvine | Norco |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $123k | $121k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $683k |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.67% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.28% | 19.99% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 56°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1 in | 11.3 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 | 135 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 83.8 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 60 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.2 | 50.1 |
| Violent Crime | 434/100k | 519/100k |
| Property Crime | 1614/100k | 2793/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 25,328 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 41.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.24 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 35.7% | 50.4% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.2% | 38.7% |
| Asian (%) | 44.1% | 3.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 34 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 8.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 25 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 93.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.90 | 138.19 |
| 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 Norco more affordable?
- Norco has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Irvine's $83k and Norco's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Irvine versus $2k in Norco.
- Is Irvine or Norco safer?
- Irvine has the lower violent crime rate. Irvine reports 434/100k and Norco reports 519/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Irvine or Norco?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Irvine and $683k in Norco, so homes are more affordable in Norco.