Head to Head
San Diego, CA vs Irvine, CA
San Diego leads with a Fun Score of 78, ahead by 15 points. Across 22 individual factors, San Diego wins 11 and Irvine wins 10, with 1 tied.
- Factor wins — San Diego
- 11 of 22
- Tied
- 1
- Factor wins — Irvine
- 10 of 22
| Factor | San Diego, CA | Irvine, CA |
|---|---|---|
| What lifts the score | ||
| Eats | 71 Best | 28 |
| Drinks | 66 Best | 4 |
| Coffee | 79 Best | 60 |
| Live Music | 80 Best | 8 |
| Star Power | 86 Best | 20 |
| Outdoors | 33 | 82 Best |
| Culture | 44 Best | 38 |
| Events | 71 | 84 Best |
| Sports | 54 | 71 Best |
| Unique Hangouts | 70 Best | 38 |
| City Vibe | 70 | 85 Best |
| Climate | 87 | 91 Best |
| Transit Quality | 67 Best | 37 |
| Walkability | 52 | 78 Best |
| Higher Education | 70 | 83 Best |
| Bike & Micromobility | 85 Best | 68 |
| What weighs it down (lower score = better) | ||
| Crime | 20 | 3 Best |
| Traffic | 55 Best | 66 |
| Air Quality | 56 | Placeholder |
| Disaster Risk | 86 Best | 88 |
| Weather Extremes | 35 | 18 Best |
| Economic Strain | 43 | 32 Best |
| Going-Out Cost | 82 | 82 |
Scores are 0–100 percentile ranks. For drawback factors (crime, traffic, etc.) a lower number is better — the Best badge marks whichever city has less. Full methodology →