This is a huge business, as Irvine, California has been the only city recognized with this award for 15 years. Yes, the cost of living in Irvine is higher than in most cities in the United States. On the other hand, the economy here is strong and, some would say, vibrant. One of the main reasons is that Irvine is home to several large employers within its city limit.
There aren't many suburbs that can boast of this fact. For example, the University of California at Irvine employs nearly 16,000 people. Blizzard Entertainment, the city's third largest employer, is also located here and Verizon Wireless. In short, there are many well-paying positions within the city limits.
Travel times are also among the best in the country for this very reason. Irvine has 278 days of sunshine a year on average and is close to Huntington, Newport and Laguna Beach. But perfect weather isn't the only reason Irvine was named one of Money's best places to live; the area also has a low unemployment rate of 2.9% and a growing economy. Each community has its “original owners” on the block: the family that bought something new, knows the history of the neighborhood, and has seen a generation of children raised and raised.
The population of Irvine, California is 290,000 and is one of the three major cities in Orange County, along with Anaheim and Santa Ana.
