Population 15,149 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Spectrum
Household size in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.64 | 3.14 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.67 | 3.20 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.74 | 3.16 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.17 | 2.84 | 3.01 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.55 | +0.20 | −0.13 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Spectrum is a place of big households: 3.17 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.62 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only one other Irvine neighborhood has larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.7 | 35.2 | 35.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.0 | 35.7 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.9 | 35.9 | 38.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 31.2 | 35.3 | 39.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.5 | +0.0 | +4.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 31.2, Spectrum is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. The median age has edged down from 31.7 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Only one other Irvine neighborhood is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 6.8% | 14.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 7.4% | 14.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 7.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 9.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +2.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.9% of households in Spectrum, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Spectrum
Renters in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 99.9% | 46.2% | 48.8% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 80.5% | 50.3% | 50.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 85.2% | 52.8% | 51.4% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 56.2% | 56.1% | 51.6% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −43.7 pts | +9.8 pts | +2.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Spectrum: 56.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 26.3% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the center. The renter share is down 43.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.9% | 7.3% | 7.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 7.2% | 6.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 8.4% | 6.6% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 9.6% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +2.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Spectrum as nationally: 10.9%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has risen 8.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1995 | 1992 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 2004 | 1993 | 1966 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2011 | 1995 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2014 | 2001 | 1969 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +19 | +9 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Spectrum has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2014, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1995 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Spectrum has newer homes than at least four in five Irvine neighborhoods.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,541 | $1,781 | $1,328 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,731 | $1,814 | $1,415 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,343 | $2,499 | $1,755 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,340 | $2,979 | $2,279 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,799 | +$1,198 | +$951 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Spectrum pays $3,340 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,799 a month from 2006–10, a 117% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.9% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Spectrum
Bachelor's degrees in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5% | 61.5% | 29.7% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 48.5% | 64.4% | 30.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 60.5% | 69.3% | 33.7% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 73.1% | 71.6% | 37.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +40.6 pts | +10.1 pts | +7.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Spectrum: 73.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 40.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.2% | 95.0% | 76.7% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.4% | 96.2% | 77.7% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.6% | 96.5% | 80.0% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.1% | 96.9% | 82.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +1.9 pts | +5.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Spectrum: 98.1% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 5.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Spectrum has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Irvine neighborhoods.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Spectrum
| Period | Spectrum | Irvine | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 5.4% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 7.2% | 10.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 4.5% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Spectrum is close to the national rate: 5.8% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 2.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Spectrum compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | 3.17 | 31.2 | 7.9% | 56.2% | 10.9% | 2014 | $3,340 | 73.1% | 98.1% | 5.8% |
| Woodbury | 2.84 | 36.1 | 10.0% | 56.1% | 5.6% | 2010 | $3,112 | 81.4% | 97.7% | 2.3% |
| El Camino Real | 2.81 | 45.2 | 10.1% | 29.4% | 6.7% | 1975 | $3,034 | 59.2% | 95.7% | 7.4% |
| Northwood | 3.06 | 42.9 | 9.8% | 36.9% | 5.2% | 1983 | $3,310 | 65.5% | 94.7% | 6.0% |
| Oak Creek | 2.56 | 36.8 | 8.7% | 53.5% | 6.2% | 1995 | $2,855 | 75.0% | 97.2% | 5.8% |
| Orange County Great Park | 3.17 | 32.6 | 11.4% | 36.7% | 14.0% | 2017 | $3,487 | 73.7% | 96.6% | 3.3% |
| El Toro Marine Air Station | 3.04 | 32.8 | 10.9% | 39.2% | 14.1% | 2017 | $2,668 | 69.4% | 95.7% | 4.8% |
| Irvine Health and Science Complex | 1.95 | 33.9 | 6.4% | 99.2% | 5.8% | 2010 | $3,061 | 67.5% | 98.4% | 5.9% |
| Portola Springs | 3.07 | 38.3 | 6.6% | 47.3% | 8.0% | 2012 | $3,295 | 73.0% | 96.7% | 4.1% |
| Northwood Point | 3.08 | 36.4 | 9.5% | 21.3% | 14.7% | 2003 | $3,501 | 72.9% | 98.4% | 2.7% |
| Walnut Village | 3.09 | 38.4 | 7.6% | 30.6% | 7.3% | 1984 | $3,302 | 67.1% | 95.1% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: River Mountain, Henderson, NV · Montclaire South, Charlotte, NC · Moran Prairie, Spokane, WA · Morningside-Lenox Park, Atlanta, GA · Morris Park, Bronx, NY · Mount Bowdoin, Boston, MA · Mount Washington, Cincinnati, OH · Mt Pleasant, Cleveland, OH · New Downtown, Los Angeles, CA · North Beach, Atlantic Beach, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Spectrum. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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