Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Irvine, CA
VS
St. Paul, MN
🏆 Irvine leads 13 of 23 categories
Irvine
California
13
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$122,948 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
22 ✓ Safer
Population
304,527
St. Paul
Minnesota
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$69,919
Violent Crime Index
163⚠ High
Population
308,806 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Irvine, CA
Pros
Households earn $53,029 more per year on average
86% less violent crime than St. Paul
Milder winters — January highs near 68°F vs 24°F
More college-educated — 70.0% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (84.0 vs 380/100k)
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 11% higher than St. Paul
St. Paul, MN
Pros
Homes cost $761k less ($264,900 vs $1,025,700)
Rent averages $1575/mo less ($1,174 vs $2,749)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.5 pts lower (5.0%)
11% cheaper overall cost of living than Irvine
Smaller class sizes — 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Irvine by $53,029/yr
Violent crime (617.7/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Property crime (2834.1/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Snowy winters — about 40" of snow per year
Key Differences at a Glance
Irvine
Median Income
$53,029
$122,948 vs $69,919/yr
Irvine
Violent Crime
86% lower
84.0 vs 617.7 per 100k
St. Paul
Cost of Living
11% cheaper
COL index 104.5 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
St. Paul
Median Home Value
$761k less
$264,900 vs $1,025,700
St. Paul
Unemployment
0.5 pp lower
5.0% vs 5.5% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Irvine, CA | St. Paul, MN |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 104.5⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $1,025,700⚠ High | $264,900 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,749⚠ High | $1,174 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $122,948 ✓ Higher | $69,919 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5%⚠ High | 5.0%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 24.3 min | 23.1 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 23.1% ✓ Higher | 15.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 40 ✓ Safer | 152⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 22 ✓ Safer | 163⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 66 ✓ Safer | 135⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (107) ✓ Better | B+ (104) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 26.5:1 | 14.8:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 70.0% ✓ Higher | 42.8% |
| High School or Higher | 96.3% ✓ Higher | 88.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Irvine Unified | Saint Paul Public Schools |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 67.8°F ✓ Warmer | 23.9°F |
| Avg High — July | 85.1°F ✓ Warmer | 82.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1" ✓ Drier | 29.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 40.4" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 308,806 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 33.8 ✓ Older | 33.1 |
| Homeownership Rate | 43.9% | 53.0% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 21.8% | 24.0% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 10.4% | 11.8% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Irvine's cost of living index is 115.5 vs St. Paul's 104.5 (US average = 100).
St. Paul is 11% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Irvine leads 13 of 23 categories. Irvine wins 13 and St. Paul wins 10. 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 St. Paul or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($1,025,700 vs $264,900 median home), income ($122,948 vs $69,919), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Irvine, CA and St. Paul, MN are about 1,522 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.