Irvine, CA vs Santa Ana, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricIrvine, CASanta Ana, CA
Population311,690312,534
Median Household Income$136,719$93,999
Median Rent$2,997/mo$2,082/mo
Median Home Value$1,191,500$713,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)114114
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income50.2%51.8%
Poverty Rate10.8%10.8%
Unemployment Rate4.2%4.1%
Violent Crime Rate /100k79337
Property Crime Rate /100k1,1551,328
Median AQI5353
Good AQI Days /yr138138
Summer Highs84°F82°F
Winter Lows44°F49°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute24.7 min24.5 min
Hospitals12
Avg Hospital Rating—1.5 / 5
Students per Teacher26.420.6
College Degree Rate70.6%18.3%
Foreign-Born %39.8%41.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+3.6%+1.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.