If you are moving to Irvine CA, or you have in the last five years, you are certainly not alone. Between 2010 and 2015, Irvine’s population increased over 21%, giving the Orange County city the highest percentage increase in resident population among all California cities during that five-year period. Irvine also ranked 7th in the nation. The ranking was based on recently released census data for cities with a population of 50,000 or more by 2010.

Only 10 other California cities were among the country’s top 100 ranked, including Lake Elsinore with a 17.3% estimated population increase and Milpitas with a 16.1% increase.

California City Rankings based on Annual Census Data

In addition to the five-year ranking, Milpitas, a city in Santa Clara County, also ranked #8 among the nation’s fastest growing cities (with a population of 50,000 or more) between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015. Dublin in Alameda County ranked 6th.

Dublin and Milpitas were the only two California cities making the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of 15 fastest growing cities, 2014-2015, but three cities – Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco – ranked among the nation’s top 15 with the largest numeric increases:

• Ranking #3, Los Angeles, the second most populated city in the U.S, increased its population by 34,943 to total 3,971,883.
• San Diego ranked #13 in the nation with a gain of 12,677 residents for a total 1,394,928.
• San Francisco ranked #15 with an increase of 12,279 to total 864,816.

Irvine’s Continued Growth not a Surprise

Year after year we see reports of Irvine’s increase in population. A 2012 article in the Orange County Business Journal says “Irvine won’t max out for decades.”

At that time, city officials projected Irvine’s population would grow to 256,300 by 2020. However, the California Department of Finance’s recently released New State Population Report shows Irvine’s population had already reached an estimated 258,386 by January 2016.

Irvine is one of California’s 10 fastest growing cities with populations over 30,000, and is ranked #1 among the top 10 cities under 300,000 with the largest numeric change (6,650) between 2015 and 2016, according to the state report.

Why are People Moving to Irvine CA?

Through the years, the city of Irvine has consistently ranked as one of the Best Places to Live, including by Livability. Some people say they move to Irvine for the city’s highly rated schools and its cultural diversity. Irvine is recognized as an international crossroads city, and education is a priority for its residents. More than 90 percent of high school graduates attend college, with students performing well above state and national comparisons.

Many people move to Irvine because, according to a report on The Safest Cities in California in 2016, it is one of the state’s largest safe cities. For more than a decade Irvine held its status as one of the safest cities in the country based on FBI violent crime statistics.

For various reasons, a growing number of people are moving to Irvine. That growth is not expected to slow anytime soon.