HOA Fees by City
HOA fees in Irvine: what condo and townhome buyers pay in 2026
Updated October 29, 2026
The median HOA fee on an Irvine condo listed in the past 12 months was $412 per month, with the middle half of listings paying between $291 and $565. That is up 0.5% versus the prior 12 months. HOAs are not just a condo issue here: 89.4% of Irvine single family listings carried an HOA fee too, with a median of $240 a month. At today's mortgage rates, a $412 monthly fee reduces what you can borrow by roughly $60,000, so the fee belongs in your budget before you decide on a price range. The figures below come from 1,365 condo and townhouse listings and 1,031 single family listings in our MLS feed, and they are broken out by property type, neighborhood and building age.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Irvine, California · Listings from October 29, 2025 to October 28, 2026
Key findings
- Median condo HOA fee: $412 per month (up 0.5% year over year, from $410). Typical range (25th to 75th percentile): $291 to $565.
- Townhouses are pricier to carry than condos: $520 versus $412 a month at the median.
- 89.4% of single family listings reported an HOA fee, with a median of $240.
- By neighborhood, attached-home fees ranged from $260 in Great Park Neighborhoods to $615 in Irvine Business Complex. Great Park Neighborhoods supplied the most listings (300) at a $260 median.
- Among single family communities, fees ranged from $82 in Westpark to $385 in Orchard Hills.
- By building age, the cheapest era was 2020s ($305 median) and the most expensive was 1970s ($585).
- Each $100 of monthly HOA fee is equivalent to about $14,600 of mortgage at a 7.32% 30-year fixed rate.
How much are HOA fees in Irvine? Fees by property type
| Property type | Listings | Share with an HOA fee | Median monthly fee | Typical range (25th to 75th pct) | Median list price (listings with a fee) | Median fee, prior 12 months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condo | 1,202 | 99.9% | $412 | $291 to $565 | $1,279,000 | $410 | +0.5% |
| Townhouse | 163 | 100.0% | $520 | $418 to $579 | $1,199,000 | $439 | +18.5% |
| Single family | 1,031 | 89.4% | $240 | $152 to $359 | $2,350,000 | $240 | +0.0% |
Local context: what drives Irvine HOA fees
Irvine is a planned city, so 89% of its single family listings carry an HOA, not just condos. Attached fees are moderate at $412 because the newest villages spread costs over large communities: Great Park Neighborhoods had 300 attached listings at a $260 median and Portola Springs was $310, while the dense Irvine Business Complex ran $615 and 1970s Woodbridge was $557. Townhouse dues rose sharply, up 18.5% to $520. One Irvine-specific caveat: many newer villages also carry Mello-Roos special taxes that are billed with property taxes, not through the HOA, so the dues figure understates the true monthly carrying cost in Great Park, Portola Springs, Cypress Village and Orchard Hills.
Irvine HOA fees by neighborhood (condos and townhouses)
| Neighborhood | Condo and townhouse listings with a fee | Median monthly HOA fee | Median list price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Park Neighborhoods | 300 | $260 | $1,402,490 |
| Irvine Business Complex | 177 | $615 | $968,000 |
| Woodbridge | 132 | $557 | $999,250 |
| Portola Springs | 123 | $310 | $1,450,000 |
| Northwood | 60 | $365 | $722,000 |
| Cypress Village | 57 | $332 | $1,399,900 |
| Woodbury | 53 | $442 | $1,380,000 |
| Oak Creek | 44 | $517 | $694,444 |
Single family communities with HOAs in Irvine
| Community or neighborhood | Single family listings with a fee | Median monthly HOA fee | Median list price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Hills | 124 | $385 | $3,514,185 |
| Great Park Neighborhoods | 96 | $240 | $2,199,000 |
| Portola Springs | 71 | $190 | $2,499,000 |
| Northwood | 70 | $150 | $1,599,500 |
| University Park | 63 | $277 | $1,450,000 |
| Turtle Rock | 56 | $151 | $2,869,000 |
| Woodbridge | 45 | $157 | $1,748,800 |
| Westpark | 44 | $82 | $1,657,500 |
Irvine HOA fees by building age
The fee per square foot column lets buyers compare a small unit in a pricey building against a large unit in a cheaper one.
| Decade built | Listings with a fee | Median monthly HOA fee | Median fee per sq ft | Median list price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 156 | $585 | $0.45 | $942,500 |
| 1980s | 199 | $505 | $0.40 | $969,900 |
| 1990s | 53 | $429 | $0.40 | $850,000 |
| 2000s | 246 | $446 | $0.29 | $1,198,944 |
| 2010s | 389 | $340 | $0.19 | $1,399,000 |
| 2020s | 316 | $305 | $0.15 | $1,499,000 |
What a $412 monthly HOA fee does to your buying power
Lenders count HOA dues in your debt-to-income ratio exactly like a car payment, so every dollar of dues is a dollar of mortgage payment you cannot make. At the Freddie Mac average 30-year fixed rate of 7.32% for the week of October 22, 2026 (source), each $100 of monthly payment supports about $14,600 of loan. The Irvine median condo fee of $412 therefore absorbs roughly $60,000 of borrowing power. Put differently, two buyers with identical incomes and down payments, one looking at a $412 fee building and one at a no-fee home, can afford list prices about $60,000 apart. Use the numbers in the neighborhood table to run the same math on the specific building you are considering, and ask the listing agent for the current fee rather than relying on the MLS field, which can lag a budget change by a year. The spread in Irvine matters too: the difference between a 25th percentile fee ($291) and a 75th percentile fee ($565) is worth about $39,900 of loan.
What HOA fees cover in California, and why they are rising
In California, every condo and most townhome communities are governed by the Davis-Stirling Act, and dues typically cover the master insurance policy, exterior and roof maintenance, common area utilities, landscaping, reserves and management. Three things are pushing California dues up right now. First, master policy insurance: Allstate raised California condo rates an average of 30% in April 2025, some associations report 200% to 500% increases at renewal, and CoverageCat reports monthly dues rising $200 to $700 in some associations as insurance costs pass through (source). Second, SB 326: condo associations with three or more units had to complete inspections of wood-supported balconies and walkways by January 1, 2026, and repairs found in those inspections are now flowing into budgets and special assessments (source). Third, reserves: SB 900 now requires utility lines to be included in reserve studies, and boards that under-funded reserves for years are catching up through higher dues. Hoodline reported that the San Francisco metro's median HOA fee hit $502 in 2025, up from about $360 in 2019, with insurance and deferred maintenance the main drivers (source).
How to vet an Irvine HOA before you buy
Treat the HOA like a second seller. Before you remove contingencies on an Irvine condo or townhome, read the most recent budget and balance sheet, the reserve study, 12 months of board minutes, the master insurance declarations page and the CC&Rs. Look for five things: a reserve balance that is at least 30% of the fully funded level, no special assessment approved or under discussion, a master policy that has not been non-renewed or moved to a surplus-lines carrier, an owner-occupancy rate that will not block conventional or FHA financing, and no pending litigation. Ask how much dues rose in each of the last three years; in Irvine the median fee was up 0.5% in the last year, and an association that has not raised dues in years is often one that has not been funding reserves.
How TurboHome helps
TurboHome is a flat fee buyer's brokerage serving Orange County. Instead of keeping the full buyer-side commission offered by the seller, we charge a flat fee and credit the rest back to you at closing. Our agents tour with you, write and negotiate offers, and review HOA budgets, reserve studies and insurance before you waive contingencies. See how buyer rebates work in California and estimate your savings.
Methodology
Fees are the monthly association fee reported on MLS listings in TurboHome's data warehouse for homes in the city of Irvine, CA, with a list date between October 29, 2025 and October 28, 2026 (the prior period is October 29, 2024 to October 28, 2025). Listings with no fee reported are counted as having no HOA, which slightly understates the share with a fee where agents left the field blank. Medians are of listings, not of buildings, so large complexes with many sales weigh more. Neighborhood rows are shown only where at least 15 listings with a fee were tagged to the neighborhood; building-age rows need at least 20. Fees reported annually or quarterly on the MLS were converted to monthly. Single family medians are shown only where at least 30 single family listings and at least 10% of them reported a fee; year-over-year changes are shown only for property types with at least 50 listings reporting a fee. Figures are aggregates and do not identify any listing; they are not a substitute for the association's own disclosure documents.
FAQ
What is the average HOA fee in Irvine?
The median monthly HOA fee on an Irvine condo listed between October 2025 and October 2026 was $412, and the middle half of listings fell between $291 and $565. Single family homes usually do carry a fee here, with a median of $240; 89.4% of single family listings reported an HOA fee.
Are HOA fees in Irvine going up?
Yes in most buildings. The median condo fee was up 0.5% year over year, from $410 to $412. Insurance renewals, SB 326 balcony repairs and reserve catch-up are the main drivers in California.
Do HOA fees count against my mortgage approval in Irvine?
Yes. Lenders add the full monthly dues to your housing payment when they calculate your debt-to-income ratio. At a 7.32% rate, the $412 median Irvine fee is equivalent to about $60,000 of loan balance, so a higher-fee building means a lower maximum purchase price for the same income.
Which Irvine neighborhoods have the lowest HOA fees?
Among neighborhoods with at least 15 attached listings, Great Park Neighborhoods had the lowest median fee at $260 a month and Irvine Business Complex the highest at $615. Fees track amenities and building scale more than location: elevators, doormen, pools and parking structures cost far more to run than a walk-up with a shared yard.
What does a flat fee buyer's agent change about buying in an HOA?
Nothing about the HOA itself, but it changes your cash at closing. TurboHome charges a flat fee instead of the full buyer-side commission the seller offers, and the difference is credited back to you, which can cover years of dues. Our agents also review the HOA documents with you before you waive contingencies.
Related pages
- HOA fees across TurboHome's California and Texas markets
- Irvine housing market: prices, inventory and days on market
- Buyer rebates in Los Angeles
- Commission rebate calculator
- Flat fee buyer's agents in California
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Kevin Kretzmer
Head Agent, California
Kevin Kretzmer leads TurboHome's California agent team and reviews California and national buyer guidance for practical brokerage accuracy.
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