Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Irvine, CA
VS
Pompano Beach, FL
🏆 Irvine leads 10 of 19 categories
Irvine
California
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$122,948 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
22
Population
304,527 ✓ Larger
Pompano Beach
Florida
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
111.8⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$61,155
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
111,790
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Irvine, CA
Pros
Households earn $61,793 more per year on average
More college-educated — 70.0% hold a bachelor's or higher
Stronger job market — unemployment is 3.2 pts lower (5.5%)
Violent crime is well below the national average (84.0 vs 380/100k)
Cooler summers — July highs near 85°F vs 91°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $1,025,700
Higher rents — median is $2,749/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Cost of living runs 4% higher than Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach, FL
Pros
Homes cost $732k less ($293,300 vs $1,025,700)
Rent averages $1222/mo less ($1,527 vs $2,749)
Milder winters — January highs near 76°F vs 68°F
Smaller class sizes — 21.7:1 student-teacher ratio
4% cheaper overall cost of living than Irvine
Cons
Median income trails Irvine by $61,793/yr
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 111.8)
Higher unemployment (8.7% vs 5.5%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Irvine
Median Income
$61,793
$122,948 vs $61,155/yr
Irvine
Unemployment
3.2 pp lower
5.5% vs 8.7% unemployment
Pompano Beach
Cost of Living
4% cheaper
COL index 111.8 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Pompano Beach
Median Home Value
$732k less
$293,300 vs $1,025,700
Pompano Beach
Summer Heat
5.4°F warmer
July avg high 90.5°F vs 85.1°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Irvine, CA | Pompano Beach, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 111.8⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $1,025,700⚠ High | $293,300 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,749⚠ High | $1,527⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $122,948 ✓ Higher | $61,155 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 8.7%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 24.3 min ✓ Shorter | 27.0 min |
| Work From Home % | 23.1% ✓ Higher | 9.9% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 40 | — |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 22 | — |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 66 | — |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (107) ✓ Better | B- (91) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 26.5:1 | 21.7:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 70.0% ✓ Higher | 30.1% |
| High School or Higher | 96.3% ✓ Higher | 85.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Irvine Unified | BROWARD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 67.8°F | 76.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 85.1°F | 90.5°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1" ✓ Drier | 55.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 304,527 ✓ Larger | 111,790 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 41.5 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 43.9% | 53.1% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 21.8% ✓ More | 18.7% |
| Over 65 | 10.4% | 18.6% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Irvine's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Pompano Beach's 111.8 (US average = 100).
Pompano Beach is 4% less expensive overall.
Based on the 19 decided categories above, Irvine leads 10 of 19 categories. Irvine wins 10 and Pompano Beach wins 9. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Irvine to Pompano Beach or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($1,025,700 vs $293,300 median home), income ($122,948 vs $61,155), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Irvine, CA and Pompano Beach, FL are about 2,298 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.