?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Irvine, CA vs Mission Viejo, CA

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Irvine needs about $81,500 in Mission Viejo to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Mission Viejo, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $88,500 in Irvine.

A few differences

Irvine vs Mission Viejo · facet by facet
FacetIrvine, CAMission Viejo, CA
Median home price$1,191,500$1,009,600
2-bedroom rent$3,154/mo$2,844/mo
Property tax rate0.75%0.75%
State & local income tax2.09%2.09%
Sales tax8.8%8.8%
Cost of living index178164
Groceries index112112
Utilities$245/mo$245/mo
Median household income$136,719$136,123
Unemployment rate5.2%5.2%
Crime index52/10052/100
School rating5.5/105.5/10
Sunny days / year260 days260 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Irvine, CA · Mission Viejo, CA
Questions & answers
Is Irvine cheaper than Mission Viejo?
Mission Viejo has the lower day-to-day cost index (164 vs 178 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Mission Viejo equals $85,000 in Irvine?
A household earning $85,000 in Irvine needs about $81,500 in Mission Viejo to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Mission Viejo lifestyle costs about $88,500 in Irvine.