What a local Irvine agent helps you decide
Irvine is a master-planned city built village by village, and prices change sharply from one village to the next. Zillow's typical home value for the whole city was $1,481,490 in September 2026, but its neighborhood figures run from $806,210 around UC Irvine to $9,454,055 in Shady Canyon. A citywide average tells you very little about one street.
That is where a local agent earns the fee. The useful decisions are these: which village fits your budget and commute, which home type (detached house, townhouse or condo) you can buy there, and how much the monthly cost rises once HOA dues and any Mello-Roos special tax are added. The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey shows how mixed the stock is: of about 120,206 homes in Irvine, 37.4% are detached houses, 19.5% are attached townhomes and 22.3% are in buildings of 50 or more units. The median home was built in 2002, so many Irvine homes come with newer construction and newer HOA and special-tax structures than in older Orange County cities.
| Irvine ZIP | Zillow typical home value, Sept 2026 | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|
| 92603 | $2,316,790 | +3.8% |
| 92602 | $1,946,132 | -0.7% |
| 92620 | $1,622,926 | -2.6% |
| 92618 | $1,515,388 | -5.5% |
| 92606 | $1,422,892 | +0.3% |
| 92604 | $1,343,576 | -0.1% |
| 92614 | $1,191,420 | -0.6% |
| 92612 | $1,160,437 | -1.4% |
| 92617 | $807,527 | +0.1% |
ZIP 92617 covers the UC Irvine campus area, where much of the for-sale housing is the university's faculty and staff program, so it is not a typical open market. Our Irvine ZIP code guide covers each ZIP.
Buying a home in Irvine
Redfin's median sale price in Irvine was $1,449,310 for the three months to September 2026, down 6.5% on a year earlier, with 556 homes sold and a median of 61 days on market. Zillow's typical home value, which covers all homes rather than only those that sold, was $1,481,490 in September 2026, 1.9% lower than a year before. Here is how a purchase usually runs.
Step 1 for Irvine buyers: price the full monthly cost
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down ($289,862) on the Redfin median of $1,449,310 leaves a loan of $1,159,448 and principal and interest of about $7,902 a month. Many Irvine tax rate areas carry a total rate of 1.03515% in the County of Orange 2026-27 rate book, which adds about $1,244 a month after the homeowners' exemption. HOA dues, insurance and any community facilities district tax come on top. Ask for the seller's last tax bill before you write an offer; our California Mello-Roos guide explains the special-tax lines.
Step 2 for Irvine buyers: pick the village, then the home type
Condos are the main lower-priced route. Redfin's median condo sale over the three months to September 2026 was $870,224 in 92612 and $859,975 in 92604, against $1,399,647 and $1,713,568 for single-family homes in the same ZIPs. Our Irvine condo guide and Irvine neighborhoods guide compare the villages.
Step 3 for Irvine buyers: check the school assignment yourself
Irvine Unified assigns every residential area to a neighborhood school, but schools can fill up and move new students to another campus. Several new developments, including parts of Orchard Hills and Portola Springs, carry a note on the district's site to call and confirm the address. Use the district's School Locator for the exact address; see our Irvine schools guide.
Step 4 for Irvine buyers: write the offer for a slower market
Redfin put Irvine at 4.4 months of supply in the three months to September 2026. Homes sold at 97.5% of list price on average and only 11.2% sold above list. That gives buyers room to ask for repairs or credits, especially on homes that have sat past the 61-day median.
Selling a home in Irvine
Sellers are listing into a market with more choice for buyers. Redfin counted 795 new listings in the three months to September 2026, 13.3% more than a year earlier, and 796 homes in inventory. Only 21.5% of homes went under contract within two weeks. Zillow reports that 24.4% of listings in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro had a price cut in September 2026.
Step 1 for Irvine sellers: price against your own village
Redfin's median price per square foot was $772.94 citywide, but $1,100.60 in 92603 and $712.00 in 92618 over the three months to September 2026. A home priced off a citywide number will be wrong in either direction. Ask for comparable sales from your tract and home type, and see our Irvine housing market report.
Step 2 for Irvine sellers: gather HOA and tax documents early
Buyers will ask for the HOA budget, reserve study, rules and any special assessments, plus the special-tax lines on your bill. California sellers also give a Transfer Disclosure Statement and a Natural Hazard Disclosure. Order these before listing; our California seller disclosure guide lists what is required.
Step 3 for Irvine sellers: plan the trade-up timing
Many Irvine sellers are also buying in another village. Decide early whether you will sell first and rent back, buy first with a bridge loan, or make the purchase contingent on your sale. At the current pace (a 61-day median), a contingent offer is easier to get accepted than in a fast market. Our how to sell a house in California guide covers closing costs and timing.
Irvine areas at a glance
Zillow publishes typical values for 27 Irvine neighborhoods. The figures below are for September 2026 and cover all home types in each area; our Irvine neighborhoods guide profiles them.
Woodbridge and the central villages
Woodbridge, built around two lakes run by the Woodbridge Village Association, had a typical value of $1,213,615. Nearby Westpark was $1,414,829, Walnut Village $1,462,963, El Camino Real $1,324,232 and University Park $1,418,386. These older villages mix detached homes with townhomes and condos, which keeps entry prices lower than in the south hills.
Turtle Rock, Turtle Ridge, Shady Canyon and Quail Hill
The southern hills near Bommer Canyon hold the city's highest values: Turtle Rock $2,349,450, Turtle Ridge $2,557,075 and the guard-gated Shady Canyon $9,454,055. Quail Hill was $1,434,889. Our Irvine gated communities guide covers the gated enclaves.
Northwood, Orchard Hills and Lower Peters Canyon
In north Irvine, Northwood was $1,537,103 and Northwood Point $1,954,619. Orchard Hills was $2,882,963, and Lower Peters Canyon $1,581,842.
Woodbury, Stonegate, Cypress Village, Portola Springs and Great Park
In the eastern villages, Woodbury $1,606,211, Stonegate $1,801,068, Cypress Village $1,431,286 and Portola Springs $1,539,950. The Great Park neighborhoods, on the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, were $1,654,606, down 8.2% in a year, the steepest one-year fall among the larger areas. Homes there pay the Great Park community facilities district tax. Current builders are listed on our new homes in Irvine page.
Business District, University Town Center and Oak Creek
The lowest typical values were in the Business District near John Wayne Airport ($939,078), Oak Creek ($953,268) and University Town Center ($1,001,196), where condos and apartments are a large share of the homes.
Local property checks before you buy in Irvine
These checks catch most of the costs that are specific to an Irvine address.
- Tax rate area and special taxes. The County of Orange 2026-27 rate book shows many Irvine areas at 1.03515%: the 1% base, a 0.0085% Metropolitan Water District charge and Irvine Unified school facilities bonds. Some areas add Irvine Ranch Water District bond rates on land only, and parts of the city in other school districts carry different bonds. Mello-Roos taxes are separate lines on the bill. See the Orange County property tax guide.
- HOA layers. Many Irvine homes sit in both a master association and a sub-association, each with its own dues. Ask for both budgets.
- Fire hazard. Homes next to open space, such as the Turtle Ridge and Shady Canyon areas beside Bommer Canyon, should be looked up on the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map. Our California wildfire zones guide explains each tier.
- Insurance. Get at least two quotes before removing contingencies; some owners end up on the California FAIR Plan. See our homeowners insurance guide.
- Flood and drainage. Check the parcel on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, especially for homes next to a creek, wash or flood-control channel.
How to choose a real estate agent in Irvine
Interview at least two agents and ask each the same questions. Check every license on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup before you sign anything.
- How many Irvine sales have you closed in the last 12 months, and in which villages?
- Which three recent sales support your price, and how far were they from my street?
- How do you check HOA dues, special assessments and Mello-Roos before an offer?
- Who handles showings, negotiation and escrow: you or a team member?
- What is your fee, and what does it cover?
Commission rules changed in August 2024 after the National Association of Realtors settlement. Buyers now sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and that agreement states how the agent is paid. Offers of buyer-agent pay no longer appear on MLS listings, and every fee is negotiable. Our California real estate commission guide has the details.
If you want a starting point, see our featured local agent for Irvine. How we choose featured agents explains the process.
What buyers and sellers ask about Irvine real estate
Are prices dropping? Slightly. Zillow's typical value fell 1.9% in the year to September 2026 and was 3.6% below its April 2025 peak of $1,537,497, while Redfin's three-month median fell 6.5%. Over ten years the Zillow value is still up 104.1%. Why do people move out? The Census figures show most residents stay: 78.3% of Irvine residents lived in the same home a year earlier (ACS 2020-2024), and 44.5% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, so a large renter population accounts for much of the turnover. Housing cost is the main factor our Irvine cost of living guide covers. For the wider view, read is Irvine a good place to live and browse the Orange County market data.