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Irvine vs Tustin

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (6.2× in Irvine) and growth since 2010 (+38.6 pts in Irvine).

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Irvine, CAHometown of 69 notable peopleCalifornia · 311,690 people
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Tustin, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 78,981 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

IrvineHometown of 69 notable people
Famous people69 notable peopleborn in Irvine Housing$1.49M typical home95% above the CA typical home College town5 collegesUniversity of California-Irvine All about Irvine →
TustinAn outdoors town
Outdoors#94 most walkable in CA20 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 83%of CA districts HealthHealthier than 77%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Tustin →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails6.2×
Irvine has more miles of trail
Irvine 122.9 miTustin 19.8 mi
Growth since 2010+38.6 pts
Irvine has grown faster since 2010
Irvine +44.9%Tustin +6.3%
Size3.9×
Irvine is the bigger place
Irvine 311,690Tustin 78,981
Bachelor’s degree++23.2 pts
More adults in Irvine have a degree
Irvine 70.6%Tustin 47.4%
Property tax bill+42%
Tax bills are bigger in Irvine
Irvine $9,543Tustin $6,725
Work in town+21.6 pts
More of Irvine’s workers stay in town
Irvine 28.8%Tustin 7.2%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $2,070 more a month in Irvine

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Irvine$8,820/mo
Typical home $1.49M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $2,997/mo · Housing →
Tustin$6,750/mo
Typical home $1.16M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $2,449/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,070 a month, about $24,800 a year, between Irvine and Tustin.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Irvine places higher on 16 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
BIrvineSafer than 56% of U.S. towns CTustinSafer than 30% of U.S. towns
Schools
AIrvineBetter than 94% of districts in the state A−TustinBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
A+IrvineHealthier than 95% of U.S. towns A−TustinHealthier than 77% of U.S. towns
16Irvine
6Tustin

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #37#283 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #133#350 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #103#504 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #37#291 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #106#408 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #20#331 SafestSafety · 411 towns #74#205 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #161#410

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Irvine’s rankings →

Where they are

Irvine and Tustin share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

IrvineTustinIrvineTustin
Irvine ↔ Tustin4.3 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
6,313 Tustin residents work in Irvine (17% of its workers)
3,117 Irvine residents work in Tustin (2.7% of its workers)
Work & commute in Tustin →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
IrvineTustin
Snow a year0″0″
January low49°F49°F
July high83°F83°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th88th
Outdoors & history
IrvineTustin
Trails123 mi20 mi
Conserved land21.9%4%
Settled1971—
National Register places34
Archive photos2319
Famous people born here6917
Community
IrvineTustin
Library hours a week64 hrs60 hrs
Colleges in town5—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

IrvineTustin
People
Population 311,690Highest 78,981Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +44.9%Highest CA: +6.1% +6.3%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 34±0.5Lowest 10% below CA 37.5±1.3Highest about the CA average
Kids under 18 21.7%±0.8Lowest CA: 22% 22.5%±1.6Highest CA: 22%
Tustin and Irvine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 10.8%±0.5Lowest CA: 15.7% 13.1%±1.3Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 70.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 47.4%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 15.5%±0.7Highest CA: 7.6% 8.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $136,719±$6kHighest 38% above CA $112,503±$6kLowest 13% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,191,500±$21kHighest 62% above CA $950,400±$31kLowest 29% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,997±$51Highest 47% above CA $2,449±$57Lowest 20% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $9,543Highest 86% above CA $6,725Lowest 31% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.9%±2.6Lowest CA: 55.3% 61.6%±4.8Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 10.8%Highest CA: 12% 9.9%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 44.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 48.8%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 2002Highest 26 yrs newer than CA 1983Lowest 7 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 14% below CA 23 minLowest 21% below CA
Work from home 28%±1.3Highest CA: 17.2% 19.2%±1.9Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 28.8%Highest 7.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 miLowest 9.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.39Highest 1.37Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (7%)Irvine (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in Tustin17% work in Irvine
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 21.9%Highest 4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 122.9 miHighest 19.8 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.9 miHighest 1.8 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 215Highest 23Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 102Lowest 132Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #37 of 574 in CA#291 of 574 in CA
School district Irvine International Academy District · Tustin UnifiedTustin Unified
High school in town Arnold O. Beckman HighTustin High
Students per teacherat that high school 26.4Highest 23.9Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Irvine neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Irvine’s Town Square.

Tustin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tustin’s Town Square.

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Bordering Irvine

+ Compare
Newport Beach83,845 people · $2M homes
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Lake Forest86,281 people · $937K homes
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Santa Ana312,534 people · $713K homes
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Laguna Woods17,289 people · $395K homes

Towns like Irvine

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Sunnyvale154,236 people · $1.8M homes
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Santa Clara130,256 people · $1.58M homes
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Fremont228,295 people · $1.4M homes
+ Compare
Pasadena136,969 people · $1.09M homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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