Irvine vs Rowland Heights
Irvine, California versus Rowland Heights, 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 Rowland Heights score about the same overall (47 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Irvine | Rowland Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $123k | $86k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $757k |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.79% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.28% | 23.21% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 6.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 77°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1 in | 16.3 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 | 196 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 78.8 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.2 | 76.0 |
| Violent Crime | 434/100k | 823/100k |
| Property Crime | 1614/100k | 2003/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 47,209 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 44.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 35.7% | 6.7% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.2% | 30.0% |
| Asian (%) | 44.1% | 60.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 2.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 33 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 12.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 21 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 93.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.90 | 73.50 |
| 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 Rowland Heights more affordable?
- Rowland Heights has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Irvine's $83k and Rowland Heights's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Irvine versus $2k in Rowland Heights.
- Is Irvine or Rowland Heights safer?
- Irvine has the lower violent crime rate. Irvine reports 434/100k and Rowland Heights reports 823/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Irvine or Rowland Heights?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Irvine and $757k in Rowland Heights, so homes are more affordable in Rowland Heights.