Irvine vs San Clemente
Irvine, California versus San Clemente, 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 San Clemente score about the same overall (47 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Irvine | San Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $123k | $135k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $1.2M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.65% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.28% | 21.81% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 55°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1 in | 15.3 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 | 260 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 60.7 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.2 | 50.4 |
| Violent Crime | 434/100k | 709/100k |
| Property Crime | 1614/100k | 1434/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 64,232 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 44.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.39 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.05 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 35.7% | 71.8% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.2% | 17.1% |
| Asian (%) | 44.1% | 4.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 4.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 12.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 22 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 95.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.90 | 44.37 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
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 San Clemente more affordable?
- San Clemente has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Irvine's $83k and San Clemente's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Irvine versus $2k in San Clemente.
- Is Irvine or San Clemente safer?
- Irvine has the lower violent crime rate. Irvine reports 434/100k and San Clemente reports 709/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Irvine or San Clemente?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Irvine and $1.2M in San Clemente, so homes are more affordable in Irvine.