2024-2018 Awards & Recognitions

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2024

  • Irvine has ranked #6 of Wallethub.com's list of Best Places for Veterans to Live. The study compared the 100 largest cities to determine factors such as military skill-related jobs, veteran income growth, the availability of VA health facilities, and more. To learn more about the City's resources for veterans visit cityofirvine.org/military-veterans.

  • Irvine has been ranked #10 on Wallethub.com's list of Greenest Cities in America. The study compared the 100 largest cities across 28 key “green” indicators with data set ranging from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita, water quality, green job opportunities, and more. To learn more about the City's environmental stewardship visit cityofirvine.org/environmental-programs.

  • The City of Irvine has been voted the "Best City to Live in" for the ninth consecutive year by The Orange County Register readers. Register readers selected winners in 81 voting categories in the Best of Orange County poll. Irvine was voted #1 and recognized for our Irvine CONNECT transit system, Great Park Live amphitheater, which brings live music to Irvine, and the Great Park and Gateway Preserve.  

  • Irvine has ranked #4 of Wallethub.com's list of Best Cities for Women. The study took into account the yearly wages and unemployment rates for women, the quaility of women's hospitals, access to preventative care, among other factors to compile the ranking. 

  • For the second consecutive year, The City of Irvine has been recognized in the Orange County Business Journal for embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) within the workplace. The City of Irvine is one of 54 businesses, and the only city featured in the Journal's annual DE&I special report released today recognizing businesses, that are paving the way for others to further their inclusionary efforts. View the "Embracing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion" special report at cityofirvine.org/ocbj-dei.

  • The City of Irvine has received a Bronze designation from the national SolSmart program for encouraging the growth of clean, affordable, solar energy in the City of Irvine. By making the permitting process for residential rooftop solar easily available online for the community, as well as reviewing local zoning requirements and restrictions for solar energy development, the City of Irvine has achieved a faster, easier, and more affordable process for residents, businesses, and nonprofits to install solar.
     
  • For the ninth consecutive year, the City of Irvine park system has been ranked among the top 10 in the nation by the Trust for Public Land. Irvine ranked fourth in the country and first in California in the national nonprofit’s annual ParkScore Index, which is recognized as the national gold-standard comparison of park systems across the 100 most populated cities in the United States. The index is based on factors including park access, acreage, investment, and amenities. Learn more in our press release.
     
  • Actively Play has ranked Irvine as #1 in the nation for the best City in the U.S. for Outdoor Recreation. Using data from the Trust for Public Land, Actively Play focused on outdoor spaces and recreation, looking at the number of trail miles, playgrounds, sports amenities, and other criteria to compile their ranking. 
     
  • According to a study by the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com, Irvine is 2024's 5th Happiest City in America. The study took into account key measures for residents, like their emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and factors involving the community and environment. Read the full report online. 

2023

  • Irvine has been ranked #13 on Money's list of the 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2023. Researchers considered a number of aspects for the ranking. Irvine was noted for our community and neighborhood parks; proximity to beaches; school system; employment opportunities; and for our cultural diversity. You can read the full report on Money's website.

  • The City of Irvine received a 2023 Digital Cities Survey award from the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. Irvine ranked 8th place in the 250,000–499,999 population category for working to improve our digital, citizen, and government experience through technology and leadership.

  • Irvine is 2023's Third Best City for Women in a recent study from the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com. The study's methodology considered  “Women’s Economic & Social Well-Being” and “Women’s Health Care & Safety.” You can read about the full ranking here.

  • For the eighth consecutive year, the City of Irvine park system has been ranked among the top 10 in the nation by the Trust for Public Land. Irvine ranked fourth in the country and first in California in the national nonprofit’s annual ParkScore Index. The ParkScore Index looked at park access and equity and found that 94% of Irvine residents live within a half-mile walk of a park. In addition, 91% of people in low-income households live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Irvine also earned perfect scores for investment and acreage. Read the full ranking and report online. 

  • The City of Irvine has been voted the "Best City to Live in" for the eighth consecutive year by The Orange County Register readers. Register readers selected winners in 79 voting categories in the Best of Orange County poll. Noted in our ranking is the City's generous amount of dedicated open space; our connection to world-class university, UC Irvine, and the City's focus on housing, environmental issues, and the business community.  

  • The City of Irvine has been ranked #3 on Wallethub.com's list of "Best Places to Raise a Family." In order to determine which cities are most conducive to family life, WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across five key dimensions: 1) Family Fun, 2) Health & Safety, 3) Education & Child Care, 4) Affordability and 5) Socio-economics. View the full ranking online. 
  • WalletHub.com has ranked Irvine as the #10 Healthiest City of America. This finding comes by analyzing data regarding a city's health care opportunities, food resources, fitness levels, and amount of green space in the 150 most populated U.S. cities and at least two of the most populated cities in each state. You can see how Irvine ranked in these areas by viewing the report online. 
  • Irvine is 2023's 6th Happiest City in America, according to a recent study from the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com. The findings were based on three key dimensions: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment. Read the full ranking here. 

2022

  • The City of Irvine received an overall score of 95.56% and tied for 3rd place in the top 25 highest-performing GIS programs through the Geospatial Maturity Index (GMI) 2022 survey. Read the full GMI report here.

  • The City of Irvine is 2022's 9th best city for veterans in a recent study from the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com. The full study can be viewed here.

  • Personal finance website, Money.com has named the City of Irvine 13th Best Place to Live in the U.S. in their 2022 annual ranking of top places to live based on economic opportunities, quality of life, diversity, and education.

  • The City of Irvine was voted “Best City to Live in” by Orange County Register readers in the 29th annual Best of Orange County publication. This is the seventh consecutive year Irvine has won this award.

  • The California Association of Public Information Officers has recognized Irvine Global Village Festival with an EPIC Award for Recurring Special or Community Event. The statewide association recognized the annual staff-produced event as an outstanding effort that serves as an inspiration for public outreach. There were six finalists in the combined 2020/2021 annual awards, and the Irvine Global Village Festival was the only EPIC Award recipient in its category for the two years. The award was announced August 30 at the association’s annual conference.

  • The City of Irvine's Adventure Playground park has been named Best Playground in Orange County and Great Park has been named Best Outdoor Activity Center in Parenting OC magazine's 2022 Reader's Choice Awards. This is the second year in a row Adventure Playground has won this award. Great Park took home the award in a new category, which highlights the wide variety of outdoor amenities available to families at the park. Parenting OC readers vote on the annual awards, which were featured in the September 2022 issue of the magazine. 

  • The City of Irvine's Purchasing division has been awarded the prestigious 2022 Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement  (AEP) from the National Procurement Institute, Inc. This is the 17th year in a row the City's purchasing division has won this award. The AEP award is granted to public and non-profit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence and those organizations that embrace innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership, and e-procurement. 

  • For the 43rd consecutive year, the City of Irvine has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

  • The City of Irvine has ranked #18 on SmartAsset's list of 2022's Best Places for Outdoor Enthusiasts to Live and Work. Ninety-six of the largest U.S. cities were compared across metrics such as household income and unemployment rates, average air pollution, percentage of commuters who walk or bike to work, state and national park coverage, and more. The study found that Irvine is 28% parkland, with 5.6% of our residents walking or biking to work, and the City has a 3.1% unemployment rate. 

  • For the seventh consecutive year, the City of Irvine park system has been ranked among the top 10 in the nation by the Trust for Public Land. Irvine ranked eighth in the country and second in California in the national nonprofit’s annual ParkScore Index, which is recognized as the national gold-standard comparison of park systems across the 100 most populated cities in the United States. The index is based on factors including park access, acreage, investment, and amenities.

  • WalletHub.com has ranked the City of Irvine as #3 on their list for Best City to Raise a Family. WalletHub conducted their study based on metrics thatf consider essential family dynamics, such as the cost of housing, the quality of local school and health-care systems, and the opportunities for fun and recreation. 

  • The City of Irvine's Great Park has been named a winner of the 2022 National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These awards highlight the accomplishments of federal agencies, states, Tribes, local partners, and developers in restoring and reusing contaminated land at federal facilities.

  • The City of Irvine's Community Services Department has been honored with two awards for the California Parks & Recreation Society (CPRS) Celebrating Excellence 2021 program. The Irvine Global Village Festival received the Creating Community Award of Excellence for its 20-year history of bringing our diverse community together. In addition, The City's Art Beat catalog received the Marketing & Communications Award of Excellence for its strategic re-design to better serve customers. 

  • The Community Services Youth Outreach team has been recognized with a California Park & Recreation Society Parks Make Life Better Award for District 10. The team’s adapted virtual Youth Action Team in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was recognized as a program that has made a substantial and meaningful impact on the community and the members it serves. 

  • Irvine is 2022's 5th Happiest City in America, according to a recent study from the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com. The study evaluated cities across three key dimensions of emotional and physical well-being; income and employment; and community and environment. More than 180 of the largest U.S. cities were included in this study. 

  • The City of Irvine has been ranked as the 4th Best Midsize College City in America and the 17th overall College City in America by WalletHub. The report took into account the academic, social, and economic opportunities available in each City, and the cost of living, quality of higher education, and crime rate.

2021

  • The City of Irvine earned a nearly perfect score of 97 – on a scale of 0 to 100 – on the 2021 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) rating system based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and the City leadership's public position on equality. Read more about our award here. 

  • The City of Irvine is ranked the 16th Top Workplace in Orange County for Large Companies (500 or More Employees) by the Orange County Register. Results were based solely on a scientific employee survey process.

  • Irvine was voted “Best City to Live In” by The Orange County Register readers in the 28th annual Best of Orange County publication. For the sixth consecutive year, Irvine ranks as the top choice in this category, which it has won 8 of the past 10 years.

  • Irvine is WalletHub's 7th best Midsize City for Soccer Fans in their study for the year 2021. The methodology used to find the ranking included criteria like the number of teams, championships, and hall of fame head coaches, and stadiums, stadium capacities, and fan engagement. 

  • Irvine is the 4th greenest city in America, according to a recent study from the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com. WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 28 key “green” indicators ranging from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to number of smart-energy policies and initiatives to green job opportunities.

  • The City of Irvine has received two Helen Putnam Awards for Excellence from the League of California Cities. The City of Irvine received two awards for its wildfire preparedness efforts — specifically its updated all-hazard evacuation map — and IrvineREADY!, the City’s web-based platform that allows planning, building, and engineering applications to be submitted online. The Helen Putnam Award for Excellence program recognizes outstanding achievements by California's 482 cities and seeks to recognize and promote the outstanding efforts and innovative solutions by city governments.

  • For the 16th consecutive year, the City of Irvine is the Safest City of its size for Part I violent crime, according to FBI data for calendar year 2020. Information released shows Irvine has the lowest rate of violent crime per capita of any city in the nation with a population of 250,000 or more. The FBI’s Annual Uniform Crime Report measures Part I crime, which includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, auto theft, and arson.

  • Irvine has been ranked No. 10 in Commercial Café's list of Best Cities for Working Remotely in the U.S. The ranking took into account the internet speeds, assortment of restaurants, crime rates, and affordability for each city to compile the ranking. 

  • The City of Irvine park system has been ranked 7th in the nation by the Trust for Public Land in their annual ParkScore Index, which ranks the nation’s 100 largest cities based on factors including park access, acreage, investment, and amenities. Irvine is the second-ranked city in California, and this is the sixth consecutive year the City’s parks have ranked in the top 10 nationally. Irvine earned a perfect score in parkland percent of city area, the number of basketball hoops per 10,000 residents, and the number of recreation/senior centers per 20,000 residents. 

  • The City of Irvine has received the 2021 Beacon Spotlight Award for reducing our municipal greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the City also received the Beacon Leadership & Innovation Award for our sustainable transportation initiatives. The City's Environmental Programs division won these awards on behalf of the City of Irvine. 

  • Congratulations to the City of Irvine’s Purchasing division for receiving the prestigious National Procurement Institute’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award (AEP) for the 16th year in a row. This national award recognizes organizational excellence in public procurement. Awardees demonstrate high levels of innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and leadership. The continuously evolving AEP criteria are designed to measure state-of-the-art public procurement best practices.

  • Irvine is the Best City for Leading an Active Lifestyle according to the website STORAGECafe. The ranking after close analysis of 18 key metrics, including the ability to walk and bike to locations, the number of gyms in each town, and a large amount of community amenities. 

  • The 2020 Irvine Global Village Festival has been recognized with a Thumbs Up! Award from the California/Nevada Festival & Events Association (CalFest). The award showcases events that exhibited resourcefulness in staging events in pandemic conditions. For the festival’s 19th year in 2020, City of Irvine staff created a mix of modified  in-person events, online experiences, and at-home activities to bring the community together and continue the City tradition. This effort was recognized by CalFest with an award to “applaud new and seasoned events for their ability to pivot and entertain audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

  • The City of Irvine has been ranked as the 3rd Best City to Raise a Family in a 2021 study from the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com. WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on criteria that consider essential family dynamics such as the cost of housing, local school quality, and recreation opportunities.

  • The City of Irvine in 2021 has once again been designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Silver level by the League of American Bicyclists. This designation means Irvine is working to create safer streets and better bicycling for everyone by improving bikeways and remaining innovative to ensure the joy of biking is safe and accessible to everyone. The City of Irvine has over 364 miles of on-street and off-street bikeways connecting residents to nearby offices, shopping, entertainment, and parks.

  • According to a recent survey by WalletHub, Irvine has been ranked as the #1 place to start a business in California. WalletHub compared the city’s business environment, access to resources, and business costs to determine the best cities to launch a business.

  • The City of Irvine’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team has been ranked No. 2 by PSD Citywide in their awards of the top 25 most mature public sector Geographic Information System programs in North America based on findings from the Geospatial Maturity Index Survey. The City is the first U.S. participant to earn a spot in the top three GIS programs in the history of the survey.

  • Irvine has been ranked #5 on Niche’s list of Cities with the Best Public Schools in America based on the grades of all the public schools in the districts that serve the Irvine area, and the amount of students which they serve.

  • In Niche’s list of Best Cities to Raise a Family in America, Irvine ranked as #10 on the list. This study takes into account key factors, such as the quality of local schools, safety, affordability, and access to family amenities, such as parks, libraries, cultural activities, and family-oriented activities.

  • The City of Irvine has been ranked in the top 15 cities in WalletHub’s list of Happiest Cities in the U.S. To compile the data, WalletHub compared more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 31 key indicators of happiness, including depression rates, income-growth rate, and average leisure time spent per day.

  • LawnStarter has ranked the City of Irvine as #1 on their list of Best Cities to Own an Electric Car. LawnStarter compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities across 11 metrics, such as average parking rate, number of electric vehicle charging stations, and electricity cost.

  • The City of Irvine has ranked #8 on WalletHub’s list of Healthiest Cities in America, and tied for third among cities with the highest percentage of physically active adults nationwide. To create the survey, WalletHub took into account indicators of health, such as medical visits, fruit and vegetable consumption, and the number of COVID-19 cases.

  • For the fourth straight year, the City of Irvine in 2020 ranked No. 1 in fiscal strength across the country by Truth in Accounting – a think tank that calculates how a City would fare financially after all the bills were paid. Irvine was given a surplus score of $4,100 per taxpayer, earning the distinction as the most fiscally healthy large city in the United States.

  • The City of Irvine has been ranked in the top 20 in LawnStarter’s list of 2021’s Best Cities for Living Without a Car. The ranking was based on methodology based on scores regarding accessibility options, commute methods, safety, and climate data. The City of Irvine was ranked as #17, and scored particularly well in the safety and climate category.

2020

  • The City of Irvine has been ranked the Safest City of its size for Part I violent crime, according to FBI data for calendar year 2019. Information released shows Irvine has the lowest rate of violent crime per capita of any city in the nation with a population of 250,000 or more. This is the 15th consecutive year Irvine has had the lowest per capita violent crime rate for its size.

  • Irvine has been ranked #4 on WalletHub’s list of 2021 Best College Towns & Cities in America. Wallethub compared more than 400 U.S. cities based on 30 key indicators of academic, social, and economic opportunities for students, and ranked each city based on data regarding the cost of living, quality of higher education, and crime rate.  

  • City of Irvine received an award for Incorporating Innovative Technology at the 10th annual Orange County Business Council’s Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet ceremony. The IrvineREADY! Program, is a streamlined, web-based platform for planning and building applications, that is completely paperless.

  • The City of Irvine has been ranked 2020’s 2nd Best City for Veterans in a study by the personal finance outlet WalletHub.com. The study considered and ranked cities by elements including employment factors like job growth and unemployment rates; economy factors, like affordable housing and educational opportunities; and quality of life factors such as family-friendliness, and available military discounts.

  • The City of Irvine was presented with the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Community Impact Award for our leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. The City was recognized for its mask distribution, business and rental assistance programs, COVID-19 testing program, and community outreach and engagement.

  • For the 15th consecutive year, the City of Irvine’s Purchasing Division has received the prestigious National Procurement Institute’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award (AEP). This national award recognizes organizational excellence in public procurement. Awardees demonstrate high levels of innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and leadership. The continuously evolving AEP criteria are designed to measure state-of-the-art public procurement best practices. The City of Irvine is one of only 69 cities nationwide to receive the award.

  • The City of Irvine was voted “Best City to Live in” by Orange County Register readers in the 27th annual Best of Orange County publication. This is the fifth consecutive year Irvine has won this award.

  • The University of California, Irvine has been ranked #8 in U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best Colleges” among the nation’s public universities. Rating are derived from 15 diverse indicators of academic quality; 1,922 institutions were considered for the 2021 report. This is the sixth consecutive year the university has placed in the top 10.

  • The City of Irvine has been awarded the inaugural Local Recognition of Rights Award by the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights for the City Council’s adoption of Ordinance 19-17, which bans smoking in all public places within the City. The award program recognizes local governments across the U.S. which adopt laws that expand civil and environmental rights at the municipal level.

  • SmartAsset has ranked Irvine among the top 25 bike-friendly cities nationwide. The rankings were based on data for the 100 largest U.S. cities on metrics such as the percentage of commuters who bike to work, bicyclist fatalities, and miles of protected lanes.

  • Irvine has been ranked #17 on the list of most pet-friendly cities in America. Irvine was awarded the ranking based on our availability of pet-friendly dining, and our 16,000 acres of parkland, sports fields, and dedicated open space. The rankings were based on criteria set by Stacker and data metrics evaluated by WalletHub.

  • The City of Irvine has been nationally recognized by LendEDU for having one of the highest percentages of solar-powered homes in the U.S. with .27% of homes powered by the sun. Irvine ranks #1,095 in the country and #384 in the State of California, making us one of the most eco-friendly places in the country. 

  • The American Fitness Index has ranked Irvine as America's 7th Fittest City.  The 2020 Fitness Index evaluated America’s 100 largest cities using 33 health behaviors, chronic diseases, and community infrastructure indicators.

  • Personal finance website Money.com has ranked UC Irvine among the Top 10 Colleges in California. The rankings were based on scores for affordability, quality of education, and student outcomes, such as graduation rate and average salary within three years of graduating. UC Irvine graduates make an average of $57,700 within three years of graduating, and the school holds an 85% graduation rate.  

  • Irvine ranked 4th Happiest City in America by WalletHub, a personal finance website. The finding is based on 31 relevant metrics that were grouped into three dimensions: emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment.

  • The City of Irvine was recently awarded the Integrated Pest Management Achievement Award by the California Environmental protection agency Department of Pesticide Regulation for our efforts to control pests in a non-toxic manner. The citywide pest management policy prioritizes the City’s use of organic means to control pests in all City properties, while limiting the use of pesticides where the community gathers.

  • For the second year in a row, the City of Irvine’s Community Services Department has been selected to receive the California Park & Recreation Society Marketing and Communications Award of Excellence. The award comes as a result of the redesign of the Orange County Great Park website and social media platforms.

  • The City of Irvine's 2019-20 Operating Budget has earned the Excellence Award from the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers. This award demonstrates the highest professional standard for operating budgets, and recognizes the criteria set by the Society in meeting overall budgeting excellence.

  • The City of Irvine has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the 27th consecutive year. The award, which recognizes the City’s budgetary achievements for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019, represents the highest form of recognition in government budgeting for a municipal entity.

  • For the third consecutive year, the City of Irvine has been ranked No. 1 in fiscal strength by Truth in Accounting. Analyzing how America’s largest 75 cities would fare financially after all the bills are paid, Irvine was given a surplus score of $4,100 per taxpayer.

2019

  • The personal finance website WalletHub has ranked Irvine as the #1 safest city in California. Comparing 182 cities across the nation, WalletHub analyzed data based on each city’s community safety, their risk of natural disasters, and their financial safety score, which takes into account each city’s record of unemployment, poverty, and foreclosure rates, credit scores, and debt-to-income ratios for their population.

  • The City of Irvine has been selected as a 2019 Beacon Sustainability Spotlight award winner by the Institute for Local Government. The Beacon Program supports and recognizes voluntary action by local governments throughout California to address climate change, promote energy innovation, and create more sustainable communities. The City was recognized for our efforts to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption at City facilities and was also awarded the top platinum level award in the Sustainability Best Practices category for our environmental programs. 

  • For the sixth year in a row, Heritage Park has earned the title of Best Playground by Parenting OC in their “Best of OC Awards.” Heritage Park was noted having multiple playgrounds, a splash pad, barbecues, and picnic tables that span over 35 acres.

  • Irvine is ranked the #1 safest U.S. City by 24/7 Wall St. The ranking considered cities among 100,000 people and based the rankings on the FBI’s latest crime stats and demographics figures such as population growth, income, and poverty.

  • Irvine remains the Safest City of 250,000 or more in the nation for the 14th consecutive year, based upon FBI statistics for violent crime.

  • Irvine was voted “Best City to Live in” for the fourth consecutive year by Orange County Register readers in the 26th annual Best of Orange County publication.

  • Irvine was ranked #3 in list of 2019’s Greenest Cities in America. The study, conducted by the personal finance website, WalletHub, considered “green” indicators such as greenhouse-gas emissions, smart-energy policies, and green job opportunities.

  • The University of California, Irvine has been ranked by Money, formerly known as Money Magazine, as #1 on its 2019-2020 list of the nations "Best Colleges." The ranking took into account data including tuition fees, family borrowing, and career earnings.

  • Irvine ranked #3 as Best Places to Raise a Family by the personal finance website WalletHub based on scores for family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socio-economic criteria.
  • The national nonprofit The Trust for Public Land ranked Irvine’s park system 6th best park system in the United States. The methodology used for 2019 includes the main criteria of park access; park size and investment; and popular amenities. 
  • The City of Irvine Department of Human Resources received the Henry Reining Outstanding Organization Award for the many initiatives focused on wellness and employee engagement. This award honors contributions to good government and improved quality of life in Southern California.
  • The City of Irvine Fiscal Services Division, for the 40th consecutive year, was presented with the Award of Financial Reporting Achievement by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2018.
  • Inside Irvine, the City's quarterly community magazine, received the Excellence in Public Information and Communications Award from the California Association of Public Information Officials.   
  • Irvine Ranked 2nd Happiest City in America by WalletHub, a personal finance website, that examined each city based on 31 key indicators of happiness, ranging from depression rate to income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.
  • ​Irvine Ranked No. 1 in Latest Fiscal Strength Survey for the second consecutive year. 
  • Public Safety’s Office of Emergency Management and the Public Works Department have been recognized by the National Weather Service (NWS) for the citywide preparedness of the NWS’s “StormReady” program. The program is a voluntary initiative designed to help communities save lives, protect property, and enhance community resiliency during all types of severe weather.
  • The Irvine Police Department was awarded the Case of the Year Award for their Orange County Golden State Killer Task Force. The award was given by the Orange County Homicide Investigators Association. The task force was honored for their tireless work which was completed in order to bring justice to the “Golden State Killer,” also known as “The East Area Rapist,” who is accused of killing 12 women and raping 45 in the 1970s and 1980s.
  • The City of Irvine was selected as the 2018 California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) Marketing and Communications Award of Excellence recipient for the “Your Irvine” marketing campaign. Through this statewide award, the City has been recognized for the highest achievement in promoting and increasing public awareness of its parks, facilities, recreation, and leisure services programs.
  • The City of Irvine’s Budget Office was awarded national and state awards: The national award came from the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The award represents the highest form of recognition in government budgeting for a municipal entity. In addition, the City received the Excellence Award for Fiscal Year 2018-19 Operating Budget from the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers.

2018

  • City of Irvine received the prestigious National Procurement Institute’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award (AEP). This national award recognizes organizational excellence in public procurement. Awardees demonstrate high levels of innovation, professionalism, e-procurement, productivity and leadership. The continuously evolving AEP criteria are designed to measure state-of-the-art public procurement best practices. The City of Irvine is one of only 47 government agencies in California and one of only 65 cities in the United States and Canada to receive the award. This is the thirteenth consecutive year the City’s Purchasing Division has been awarded the AEP.
  • The City of Irvine has received the Rose Award from the Orange County Taxpayers Association for its efforts to protect taxpayers. The City was awarded this honor for placing Measure C on the ballot in the June 5 election, making Irvine compliant with Proposition 62, which requires 2/3 vote of the City Council to propose taxes.
  • The City of Irvine was awarded for its “exemplary Information Technology (IT) practices” by MISAC, the Municipal Information Systems Association of California.
  • Irvine remains the Safest City of 250,000 or more in the nation for the 13th consecutive year, based upon FBI statistics for violent crime.
  • Irvine was voted “Best City to Live in” for the third consecutive year by Orange County Register readers in the 25th annual Best of Orange County publication.
  • In 2018, IPD’s Office of Emergency Management developed a first-of-its kind Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program delivered entirely in the Mandarin language. IPD received an award for this effort from the California Emergency Services Association. The team was also asked to present on the program at the National CERT Conference in summer 2018.
  • Irvine ranked #27 overall among 300 U.S. cities for Best Real Estate Markets. The ranking was prepared by WalletHub, a personal finance website, based on factors such as housing market attractiveness and economic strength.
  • Irvine ranked #2 as Best Places to Raise a Family by the personal finance website WalletHub based on scores for family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socio-economic criteria.
  • Irvine is 10th on the list of 50 Safest College Towns in America. The rankings compiled by SafeWise, a professional review and comparison website, are based on the most recent FBI crime data.
  • Irvine ranked #10 as the Most Pet-Friendly Cities in America by the personal finance website WalletHub based on our outdoor pet-friendliness and pet health & wellness scores. 
  • The national nonprofit The Trust for Public Land ranked Irvine’s park system 10th best park system in the United States. The methodology used for 2018 includes the main criteria of park access; park size and investment; and popular amenities.  
  • Irvine ranked #15 on the list of Best Cities for Young Families in the U.S. by Consumer research group ValuePenguin. 
  • The City of Irvine has been ranked No. 1 in fiscal strength. The Truth in Accounting ranking of America’s 75 largest cities calculated the funds that would be left over after the bills are paid. Irvine was given a surplus score of $5,200 per taxpayer, earning the distinction as the most fiscally healthy large city in the United States. Truth in Accounting is a nonprofit that looks at public agencies’ fiscal practices.
  • Irvine ranked #13 for Fittest City in America by American College and Sports Medicine American Fitness Index.
  • Irvine received the 2017 Award of Excellence for Facility Design from the California Park & Recreation Society for Quail Hill Community Center.
  • Irvine ranked #15 on Livability.com’s list for the 2018 Top 100 Best Places to Live list based on our parks and open space, strong local economy, access to medical facilities and low crime rates.
  •  The City of Irvine received the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) award for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
  • The City received two other prestigious awards for the financial report: The GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award honoring the City’s commitment to the highest principles of governmental budgeting, and the award for Excellence in Operational Budget from the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers.