Housing and tax tradeoff: Irvine, California
Irvine, California comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Irvine vs Boston on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 5 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
IrvineBoston
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Irvine, California
Irvine, California is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on daily convenience.
Potential dealbreaker: Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 256,927 | 653,833 |
| Population Density | N/A | 13.8k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 56 ft(17 m) | 46 ft(14 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $1,510,682 | $760,717 |
| Median Rent | $3,471 | $3,589 |
| Median Income | $122,948 | $89,212 |
| Rent Burden | 34% | 48% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 347 days/yr | 285 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 73°F | 61°F |
| Avg. Low | 55°F | 44°F |
| Comfort Score | 96/100Excellent | 51/100Mixed |
| Temp Swing | 19°F | 46°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17"(43 cm) | 48"(122 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 28"(71 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 552024 modeled avg · 4 days > 100 | Typical: 492024 modeled avg · 18 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 43 | 83 |
| Transit Score | 26 | 72 |
| Safety Score | 85 / 100 | 60 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.8/10 | 5.3/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | unknownNo Data | unknownNo Data |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 44%Cable: 88% | Fiber: 57%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 33.8 years | 32.9 years |
| College Educated | 70% | 53% |
| Remote Workers | 23% | 16% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Irvine. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Boston. One featured slot per city |
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