Photo: Azusa Tarn · CC BY-SA 4.0How is Irvine run?
Irvine’s city government spent $387.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,235 per resident. Water and other utilities ($11.5 million) are counted separately.
About $1,235 per resident a year, or $3.38 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,216 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Irvine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,216 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,404, and the middle half spent $1,118–$2,136. Irvine spent less than 65% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Irvine itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Irvine reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,216 · 2023: $1,192 · 2024: $1,235. Per resident it went from $1,216 to $1,235 (up 2%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 283,700 to 313,685.
full-time in March 2025, up from 821 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $9,543 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.80% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Irvine’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Irvine’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Irvine →
Who’s in charge in Irvine
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 317 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (313,685).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Irvine Unified School District
Irvine’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,163 per pupil, $9,601 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
Tustin Unified School District · $16,217 per pupil
Saddleback Valley Unified School District · $17,411 per pupil
Santa Ana Unified School District · $24,720 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Irvine’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Irvine alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Orange County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.7%691,577 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.1%654,494 votesOthers: 3.2% (44,403 votes).
Most votes in Orange County: Kamala D Harris
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Irvine lies in Orange County. Every 2024 race in Orange County is on the county’s page.
Orange County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Irvine.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Irvine compares with the towns next door
Irvine spent $1,216 per resident in 2022; the 7 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $474 to $2,867. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Laguna Woods | $474 | $2,713 |
| Lake Forest | $583 | $5,812 |
| Laguna Hills | $810 | $6,454 |
| Tustin | $1,127 | $6,725 |
| Costa Mesa | $1,440 | $6,839 |
| Santa Ana | $2,149 | $3,997 |
| Newport Beach | $2,867 | $10,000+ |
| Irvine | $1,216 | $9,543 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Irvine’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Irvine’s government
How much does Irvine spend per resident?
About $1,235 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,216 was less than 65% of 74 California cities of 250,000–499,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Irvine?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,543 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.80% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Irvine’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Irvine yet.
How did Irvine vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Irvine alone. Orange County, where 100% of Irvine lies, voted Harris 49.7%, Trump 47.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Irvine?
989 full-time and 710 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $15.7M (about $188.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Irvine in the state legislature?
State Senate District 37 (Steve Choi) and Assembly District 73 (Cottie Petrie-Norris). The Assembly district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Irvine’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →