Irvine Housing Market Report: Q3 2026
Megan Varga | October 13, 2026
Megan Varga | October 13, 2026
Irvine home prices went down this summer, while prices in most of Orange County went up. This report compares Irvine home sales from July through September 2026 with the same months in 2025. It covers prices, the number of homes for sale, how quickly homes sold, and how many went under contract. A separate section covers Turtle Ridge.
The Irvine housing market is slower and lower priced than a year ago. The median sale price was $1.44 million in Q3 2026, down 7% from Q3 2025. There were 5.0 months of supply, down from 5.7. The median home took 32 days to go under contract. New contracts fell to 131 in September, from 172 in August.
The figures in this report come from the regional MLS. They include single-family homes, condominiums, and townhomes. "Irvine" is the whole city. The Turtle Ridge figures use a map boundary drawn around the community. Each figure covers the three months from July through September 2026, compared with the same three months in 2025 (CRMLS via InfoSparks, checked October 2026).
Median sale price, Q3 2026:
Irvine: $1,436,500, down 7% from $1,549,004
Turtle Ridge: $2,910,000, based on 10 sales (Q3 2025: $1,370,000, based on 5 sales)
Orange County: $1,215,000, up 3% from $1,175,000
The Irvine median is now about 13% below its high point. That high point was $1.65 million in the second quarter of 2024. Orange County prices did not drop the same way. The county's Q3 2026 median was about 3% below its own high, which was in the second quarter of 2026.
A median can change because the mix of homes changes. A quarter with more condominium sales has a lower median, even if no home lost value. To check for this, we compare the median with the price per square foot. In Irvine, the median price per square foot was $773 in Q3 2026, down 4% from $806 a year earlier. That is about half the drop in the median. So part of the 7% drop comes from the mix of homes that sold, and part of it is lower prices for similar homes.
Megan has a Master's degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. That background is the reason each of these reports checks the median against price per square foot and the number of sales before saying what prices did. The table below has the full set of figures. For Turtle Ridge, the table shows last year's figure instead of a percent change, because the number of sales is small.
Source: CRMLS via InfoSparks (agent-reported MLS data), checked October 8 and 12, 2026. Residential sales.
Irvine had an average of 859 homes for sale each month in Q3 2026. That is 8% fewer than the 934 a year earlier. At the end of September there were 798 homes for sale, compared with 853 at the end of September 2025. New listings were up 3%, and sales were up 2%. Sellers listed about as many homes as last year, and slightly more of them sold.
Months of supply is the number of months it would take to sell every home on the market at the current pace of sales. Irvine was at 5.0 months, down from 5.7. A common rule of thumb is that under four months favors sellers and over six months favors buyers. Irvine is between the two. Orange County as a whole was at 3.5 months.
The median Irvine home was on the market for 32 days before it went under contract. A year ago it was 29 days. For Orange County as a whole, it was 20 days. Irvine sellers received a median of 96.1% of their original list price, about the same as 95.7% last year. A typical Irvine seller accepted about 4% less than the first asking price. In the county as a whole, sellers received 98.2%.
Pending sales are homes that went under contract during the month. From January through August 2026, Irvine had 1,433 new contracts. That is 4% more than the same eight months of 2025. In September, the count fell to 131. There were 172 in August and 187 in September 2025.
Mortgage rates went up during the same weeks. The average 30-year fixed rate passed 7% in late September and reached 7.40% on October 8. A year earlier it was 6.30% (Freddie Mac weekly survey, checked October 12, 2026). Our Newport Beach housing market report found the same drop in September contracts there.
The September count may go up as late status updates are entered. Most of these contracts would close in October and November. If the September number holds, the Q4 report will likely show fewer closed sales than this quarter.
Turtle Ridge had 10 sales in Q3 2026, compared with 5 a year earlier. Over the last four quarters there were 40 sales, compared with 27 in the four quarters before that. More homes are selling here than a year ago.
The median sale price was $2,910,000, compared with $1,370,000 in Q3 2025. That does not mean Turtle Ridge homes doubled in value. With 10 sales, the median depends mostly on which homes sold. Turtle Ridge has guard-gated detached homes in The Summit, gated detached condominiums in Arborel & Chantory, and attached condominiums in Ashton Green & Whispering Glen. A quarter with several Summit sales has a much higher median than a quarter with mostly condominium sales. Our Turtle Ridge community guide describes each enclave.
The median price per square foot was $1,246, up from $968. It is about 61% higher than the Irvine figure of $773. Supply was tighter than in the rest of Irvine. There were 14 homes for sale on average and 3.8 months of supply, down from 6.8 a year ago. The median home took 43 days to go under contract, compared with 15 days last year. Sellers received a median of 95.7% of their original list price. With this few sales, each of these numbers can change a lot from one quarter to the next.
Sellers. Plan for about a month on the market, and set the price from recent sales in your own village. The citywide median is not a good guide for one home. A typical Irvine seller this quarter received about 96% of the first asking price, and a price that has to be reduced later adds more days on the market. Fewer buyers went under contract in September. If you plan to sell this fall, an accurate first price matters more now than it did in the spring. A confidential Irvine home valuation is the place to start.
Buyers. With 5.0 months of supply and a median of 32 days on market, buyers have more time and more room to negotiate than they did a year or two ago. Higher mortgage rates cancel out part of the savings from lower prices, so get a current rate quote before you decide what to offer. Check whether a home has Mello-Roos or an assessment district charge, since these add to the monthly payment. Our guide to Irvine's villages lists which villages have them.
Owners not planning to move. A lower median does not change your mortgage or your property tax bill. In California, property tax is based on your purchase price, with small yearly increases. If you plan to refinance or open a home equity line, the lender's appraisal will use recent sales near you. Those may be lower than they were in 2024.
The median sale price was $1,436,500 for homes sold from July through September 2026 (CRMLS via InfoSparks, checked October 2026). This includes single-family homes, condominiums, and townhomes. Prices vary a lot by village.
Yes, by a moderate amount. The median sale price in Q3 2026 was 7% lower than in Q3 2025 and about 13% below its high in the second quarter of 2024. The median price per square foot was down 4% from a year ago, so part of the drop in the median comes from the mix of homes that sold.
Irvine is in between. It had 5.0 months of supply in Q3 2026. A common rule of thumb is that under four months favors sellers and over six favors buyers. Orange County as a whole was at 3.5 months, which favors sellers more than Irvine does.
We publish a new Irvine report each quarter, in early January, April, July, and October. The next report covers Q4 2026 and will be published in early January 2027.
Irvine prices are lower than a year ago, and there are fewer homes for sale. Homes take about a month to go under contract, and new contracts fell in September as mortgage rates went up. Those are the citywide numbers.
A citywide median combines condominiums in older villages with new detached homes in the newest ones. The price of one home depends on its village, its plan, its lot, and the sales around it.
If you are thinking about buying or selling in Irvine, start with the sales in your own neighborhood. To talk through what this quarter means for a specific home, get in touch with the Megan Varga Group.
Megan Varga Group's excellent reputation, integrity and loyal client base ensures you are working with professionals you can trust. Contact us to put our extensive education, wealth of experience, and proven track record to work for you.
Megan Varga Group is affiliated with Compass, a licensed real estate broker in California, and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.
Megan Varga Group’s excellent reputation, integrity and loyal client base ensures you are working with professionals you can trust. Let Megan Varga Group's extensive education, wealth of experience, and proven track go to work for you.
CONTACT US