California · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area

Buying a home in Irvine, California

In Irvine, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $1,191,500, Orange County's effective property tax rate is 0.66%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $9,436 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,997 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Irvine home costs, fact by fact

About Irvine

Irvine is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area, the 2nd largest in the country, and has 318,683 residents. Median gross rent is $2,997 per month, and 44.5% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Irvine figures

Irvine's median value of $1,191,500 is above Orange County's $962,600 and far above the state's $770,700. Santa Clara reports $1,582,600. Berkeley reports $1,413,900. Fremont and San Francisco sit near $1,403,800 and $1,394,500. Each is higher. Carlsbad shows $1,257,000, and San Jose is just above at $1,233,200. Below Irvine come Costa Mesa and Daly City, close to $1,115,000, then Glendale with $1,102,300 and Huntington Beach with $1,100,000. Pasadena and Burbank follow, and Los Angeles, at $921,200, is the lowest city named.

Rent is where Irvine stands out. The median of $2,997 tops Fremont's $2,933 and Carlsbad's $2,808. San Jose is at $2,669 and Huntington Beach is at $2,510. Santa Clara, at $3,016, is close. Berkeley asks only $2,133. Glendale asks $2,182. Los Angeles asks $1,933. HUD's benchmark for Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine begins at $3,057 and reaches $4,153, so even its lowest figure is only slightly above the city's median. That benchmark is an area estimate, not a market median.

Irvine's 44.5% owner share is lower than Fremont's 60.8%. Carlsbad reaches 62.9% and San Jose 55.8%. Berkeley, with 44.2%, is close. Santa Clara reports 40.8%. San Francisco reports 38.2%. Costa Mesa reports 39.6%. Glendale reports 35.2%. Each is lower. So more of Irvine's housing is rented than in several cities of similar value, which is worth knowing if you plan to buy and rent out.

Orange County sets the tax figures: a median bill of $6,330, which equals 0.66% in effective rate terms. Irvine's owners estimate their homes above the county median, so a typical bill may exceed $6,330. That conclusion is drawn from county data, not an Irvine measurement. Each value comes from owners, not recorded sales.

The county's 12,159 loans in 2025 were centered on $9,436, and most sat between $7,052 and $15,094. Irvine's 318,683 residents form a large base for a median, so the figures are less likely to swing on a handful of homes. The city outweighs Santa Clara, Berkeley, Fremont, Glendale and Huntington Beach. It is also larger than Santa Clara or Berkeley, more than Fremont, Glendale or Huntington Beach. Fremont is the closest comparison on rent and a higher value, yet it has a far higher owner share, which shows how differently two high-priced cities can behave.

Calculate for California

If you buy

California state transfer tax

California has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one.

Price$770,700
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the California median value of owner-occupied homes, $770,700 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: No state tax. The tax is set by county and city, so it cannot be computed from the state alone. Who pays: Neither the state statute nor the City of Los Angeles FAQ assigns the tax; the purchase contract and escrow instructions decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. California transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: California state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Sectors of Irvine

Irvine is divided into the ten most populous of 37 planning areas, one open spot per trade in each.

Source: City of Irvine GIS, Irvine Planning Areas. Population per area is a Payotte estimate: the sum of Census ACS 2020-2024 populations (table B01003) of the 2020 census tracts whose internal point lies inside each official boundary.

Questions about buying a home in Irvine

How much is property tax in Irvine?

Homeowners in Orange County pay a median $6,330 a year in property tax, 0.66% of the county median home value of $962,600 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Irvine?

Home-purchase mortgages in Orange County carried median total loan costs of $9,436 in 2025; half of the 12,159 loans fell between $7,052 and $15,094 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Irvine?

California has no state transfer tax. Counties may charge $0.55 per $500 of value under the Documentary Transfer Tax Act, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own, with Measure ULA adding 4% or 5.5% on very high-priced sales.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Irvine?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Irvine ($1,191,500) equals 33.1 years of the median gross rent ($2,997 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Irvine?

Across California, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is California FAIR Plan. A standard California homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage; insurers must offer earthquake coverage (Insurance Code 10081), and the FAIR Plan sells limited fire coverage up to $3 million for residential policyholders.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

California rules that apply in Irvine

Other large cities in California

Who licenses each trade in California · All covered cities

Sources

California · All states · Federal guides