The ad valorem rate is about 1.14% of value (1% Prop 13 base plus voter debt service). But that is only half the story in Irvine: newer villages add flat Mello-Roos special taxes on top as line-items that can rival the base tax itself. Expect a one-time supplemental bill about a year after closing for the gap between the seller’s old assessed value and your purchase price.

The defining hidden cost. The newest Great Park neighborhoods carry the highest per-parcel CFD burden in Orange County (≈$3,500–$7,200/yr on ~40-year bonds); Portola Springs, Stonegate, and Woodbury run ≈$2,200–$4,800; and older villages like Quail Hill, Northpark, and Oak Creek run ≈$800–$2,200, some nearing payoff. Sum every CFD line on the parcel’s tax bill and divide by 12 before you make an offer.

Highest: Great Park (Beacon Park, Pavilion Park) · Portola Springs · Orchard Hills · Eastwood · Cypress Village · Lower/older: Quail Hill · Northpark · Oak Creek · Woodbury

The flat central and western grid (Great Park and most villages) is Low–Moderate hazard and insurable near the state average — ≈$1,200–$1,900/yr for 92602, 92618, and 92620. The eastern hillsides — Turtle Rock, Turtle Ridge, Shady Canyon, Quail Hill — sit in or abut High / Very High fire zones, so 92603 runs ≈$3,500–$9,000/yr, and some homes get pushed onto a FAIR Plan + DIC combination.

Irvine is Southern California Edison (SCE) territory — an investor-owned utility averaging ≈34.5¢/kWh (Jan 2026), roughly double Sacramento’s municipal SMUD for the same power. The 4–9 p.m. summer time-of-use peak drives the biggest bills, especially for larger AC-heavy homes.