Irvine appears unaffordable relative to its own citywide income and housing benchmarks. With a median gross rent of $2,997 per month, housing costs consume approximately 26.3% of the median household income ($136,719 annually, or $11,393 monthly), which exceeds the common 30% affordability threshold when combined with other expenses. The uniform non-housing calculator baseline of $1,250 per month further suggests that total essential costs may strain household budgets, though actual affordability varies by household composition and circumstances.
Irvine at a glance
What the default budget models
A one-person renting household begins with a modeled annual core-cost baseline of $50,964. It combines the ACS median gross-rent estimate with a uniform $1,250 monthly non-housing baseline. State income tax is excluded until a current official reference is approved; the calculator labels that limitation instead of guessing.
| 2024 ACS population estimate | 311,690 |
| 2024 ACS median household income | $136,719 |
| 2024 ACS median gross rent | $2,997 |
| 2024 ACS median owner-occupied home value | $1,191,500 |
| Derived one-way commute estimate | 27 minutes |
| State-tax treatment | Excluded — official reference pending |
| Rent-to-income reference | 26% |
The trade-off
Relative strength: Median rent is nearly triple the national average.. Watch closely: high income offsets high housing costs, but discretionary savings may be limited..
Compare Irvine
Frequently asked questions
Is Irvine expensive to live in?
Yes, Irvine has a high cost of living driven by elevated housing costs. Median gross rent is $2,997/month and median home value is $1,191,500, both significantly above national averages. While median household income is high at $136,719, housing expenses represent a substantial share of income, limiting affordability for many residents despite above-average earnings.
What is the average commute time in Irvine?
The derived one-way commute estimate for Irvine is 27 minutes, calculated from weighted midpoints in the 2024 ACS table B08303. This reflects average travel time to work for residents and does not vary by mode of transportation or specific origin-destination pairs within the city.
Source ledger
Every production input below is retained with its publisher and dataset. The ACS figures are five-year estimates, not live listings or guarantees.
- PopulationU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B01003
- Median household incomeU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B19013
- Median gross rentU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25064
- Median owner-occupied home valueU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B25077
- Commute-time distributionU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 ACS 5-Year B08303
Interpretation: The ACS 2024 five-year estimates generally summarize observations across 2020–2024. The commute number is a weighted midpoint estimate from table B08303. State income tax is not included in the modeled take-home result. Verify a current address, quote, commute, and tax situation before making a decision.