Mission Viejo vs Lake Forest vs Irvine Home Prices 2026: What Homes Sold For

Quick answer: Single-family homes sold at a median of $1,330,000 in Mission Viejo, $1,410,000 in Lake Forest and $2,100,000 in Irvine (CRMLS, closed Oct 19, 2025 to Oct 18, 2026). At 1,800 to 2,400 square feet, Mission Viejo and Lake Forest were $13,000 apart; Irvine ran $375,000 above Mission Viejo.

By Darren Shepherd, Mission Viejo real estate agent, CA DRE #02000042, The Darren Shepherd Team at Compass California, Inc.

Selling a home in Mission Viejo and wondering how it stacks up against Lake Forest and Irvine? I'm Darren Shepherd, a Mission Viejo listing agent, and this guide uses 12 months of closed sales in all three cities to show what single-family homes, condos and townhomes sold for, how fast they sold, and what the association and special-tax fields show.

Every figure comes from CRMLS, the regional multiple listing service: residential sales with City = Mission Viejo, Lake Forest or Irvine that closed from October 19, 2025 to October 18, 2026 (the newest close in the data is October 16, 2026). A single-family home is the CRMLS property subtype Single Family Residence, and a condo or townhome is Condominium or Townhouse. Prices are medians, so half of the sales were above the figure and half below. For local pages, see our Mission Viejo neighborhood pages and Lake Forest neighborhood page, and for the full Mission Viejo picture read Mission Viejo home prices over the last 12 months.

What this guide does not cover: homes for sale right now (the CRMLS pull has closed sales only), buying a home, Mello-Roos dollar amounts (the CRMLS tax amount fields were blank, so ask your title company for your parcel's figures), Irvine's 29 manufactured-home sales, and tax or legal advice (ask a CPA or attorney).

What do single-family homes sell for in Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Irvine?

$1,330,000 was the median single-family sale price in Mission Viejo, against $1,410,000 in Lake Forest and $2,100,000 in Irvine (CRMLS, closed Oct 19, 2025 to Oct 18, 2026).

• Mission Viejo: 740 sales, median $1,330,000, $674 per square foot, 16 days on market, median 1,940 square feet.
• Lake Forest: 484 sales, median $1,410,000, $663 per square foot, 19 days on market, median 2,213 square feet.
• Irvine: 850 sales, median $2,100,000, $872 per square foot, 23 days on market, median 2,522 square feet.

Lake Forest's median ran $80,000 (6%) above Mission Viejo's, but its price per square foot was $11 lower, because the median Lake Forest home was larger. Irvine's median ran $770,000 above Mission Viejo's, or 1.58 times, and its price per square foot was $198 higher. The price tiers differ too:

• $2,000,000 or more: 44 of 740 Mission Viejo sales (5.9%), 76 of 484 in Lake Forest (15.7%) and 458 of 850 in Irvine (53.9%).
• Under $1,000,000: 115 of 740 Mission Viejo sales (15.5%), 21 of 484 in Lake Forest (4.3%) and 5 of 850 in Irvine (0.6%).

How do the three cities compare for a home of the same size?

232 Mission Viejo, 155 Lake Forest and 223 Irvine single-family homes sold with 1,800 to 2,400 square feet of living area (CRMLS, closed Oct 19, 2025 to Oct 18, 2026). I chose that band to compare like with like; another band would give different numbers.

• Mission Viejo: 232 sales, median $1,355,000, $654 per square foot, 13 days on market.
• Lake Forest: 155 sales, median $1,368,000, $654 per square foot, 15 days on market.
• Irvine: 223 sales, median $1,730,000, $840 per square foot, 18 days on market.

At the same size, Lake Forest's median was only $13,000 above Mission Viejo's, and the two price-per-square-foot medians were less than a dime apart ($653.58 and $653.53). Most of the gap in the citywide medians is size. Irvine ran $375,000 above Mission Viejo in the same band, or 1.28 times, and its price per square foot was $187 higher.

What do condos and townhomes sell for in the three cities?

$753,500 was the median Mission Viejo condo or townhome price, against $700,000 in Lake Forest and $1,245,000 in Irvine (CRMLS, closed Oct 19, 2025 to Oct 18, 2026).

• Mission Viejo: 218 sales, $608 per square foot, 20.5 days on market, median 1,240 square feet.
• Lake Forest: 245 sales, $592 per square foot, 21 days on market, median 1,187 square feet.
• Irvine: 1,154 sales, $742 per square foot, 30 days on market, median 1,679 square feet.

Condos and townhomes made up 22.8% of Mission Viejo's 958 sales, 33.6% of Lake Forest's 729 and 56.8% of Irvine's 2,033. Irvine's median was $491,500 above Mission Viejo's, so a Mission Viejo condo is not priced off an Irvine condo. For the Mission Viejo detail, see Mission Viejo condo and townhome values.

How fast do homes sell, and how close to list price?

16 days was the median time on market for a Mission Viejo single-family home, against 19 in Lake Forest and 23 in Irvine (CRMLS, closed Oct 19, 2025 to Oct 18, 2026). Single-family results in the same window:

• Closed at or above final list price: 355 of 740 in Mission Viejo (48.0%), 205 of 484 in Lake Forest (42.4%) and 229 of 850 in Irvine (26.9%).
• Median sale price against list price: 99.5% of final list price in Mission Viejo, 99.0% in Lake Forest and 97.6% in Irvine; against original list price, 98.6%, 97.8% and 96.2%.
• On the market more than 60 days: 116 in Mission Viejo (15.7%), 103 in Lake Forest (21.3%) and 190 in Irvine (22.4%).

In the 1,800 to 2,400 square foot band, 127 of 232 Mission Viejo homes (54.7%) closed at or above final list price, against 76 of 155 in Lake Forest (49.0%) and 83 of 223 in Irvine (37.2%). For the full Mission Viejo timeline, read how long it takes to sell a Mission Viejo home.

How do HOA dues and Mello-Roos compare in the three cities?

$218 a month was the median association fee on Mission Viejo single-family sales that listed a monthly fee, against $160 in Lake Forest and $210 in Irvine (CRMLS, closed Oct 19, 2025 to Oct 18, 2026).

• Single-family homes: a monthly fee was listed on 456 of 740 Mission Viejo sales (median $218), 401 of 484 in Lake Forest (median $160) and 724 of 850 in Irvine (median $210).
• Condos and townhomes: a monthly fee was listed on 218 of 218 Mission Viejo sales (median $485), 245 of 245 in Lake Forest (median $460) and 1,150 of 1,154 in Irvine (median $270).

Fees are the first association fee field, counted only where its frequency was Monthly. The CRMLS Assessments field names a CFD/Mello-Roos special tax on 3 of 740 Mission Viejo single-family sales (0.4%), 11 of 484 in Lake Forest (2.3%) and 249 of 850 in Irvine (29.3%). For condos and townhomes it was 0 of 218, 0 of 245 and 417 of 1,154 (36.1%). Many records say None or Unknown instead of naming a tax, so read these as minimums.

If your home carries a Mello-Roos lien, California Civil Code section 1102.6b requires the seller to make a good faith effort to obtain a disclosure notice from each local agency that levies the tax and to deliver it to the buyer, as long as the agency makes the notice available. That section applies where a new-home notice under Government Code section 53341.5 is not required.

What should a Mission Viejo seller take from the Lake Forest and Irvine numbers?

3 points stand out in the three cities' sales.

• Size explains most of the Lake Forest gap. The citywide medians are $80,000 apart, but at 1,800 to 2,400 square feet they are $13,000 apart, with the same price per square foot.
• Irvine is a different price tier. Its single-family median is $770,000 above Mission Viejo's, and 53.9% of its single-family sales closed at $2,000,000 or more, against 5.9% in Mission Viejo. Price a Mission Viejo home from Mission Viejo sales, not from an Irvine listing.
• Mission Viejo sold fastest. The median single-family home took 16 days, against 19 in Lake Forest and 23 in Irvine, and 48.0% closed at or above final list price, against 42.4% and 26.9%.

For move-up buyers who need to sell a Mission Viejo home before buying the next one, the timing questions are in whether to sell before you buy.

How do I price my Mission Viejo home against Lake Forest and Irvine sales?

3 steps turn these figures into a list price for one address.

1. Match size first. Start with closed Mission Viejo sales near your square footage, because size moved the Lake Forest and Irvine medians more than the city name did.
2. Adjust for the house. Work through condition and updates, pool, lot, view, street and association dues, one item at a time.
3. Get it in writing. My written comparative market analysis uses the Mission Viejo sales most like yours, shows each adjustment and explains the list price I recommend.

Keep these figures in view:

• the median Mission Viejo single-family sale was 1,940 square feet, against 2,213 in Lake Forest and 2,522 in Irvine;
• 15.7% of Mission Viejo single-family sales sat more than 60 days, against 21.3% in Lake Forest and 22.4% in Irvine;
• the median Mission Viejo condo or townhome sold for $753,500, against $1,245,000 in Irvine.

The list price is only half the math: see what a Mission Viejo seller keeps after closing costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median single-family price in Mission Viejo, Lake Forest and Irvine?

$1,330,000 in Mission Viejo, $1,410,000 in Lake Forest and $2,100,000 in Irvine, per CRMLS (single-family sales closed from October 19, 2025 to October 18, 2026: 740, 484 and 850 sales). The median price per square foot was $674, $663 and $872.

Why is Lake Forest's median higher if its price per square foot is lower?

Size. The median Lake Forest single-family home had 2,213 square feet against 1,940 in Mission Viejo, per CRMLS. Among homes of 1,800 to 2,400 square feet, the medians were $1,368,000 and $1,355,000, and both came to $654 per square foot.

How does Mello-Roos affect a Mission Viejo, Lake Forest or Irvine sale?

The CRMLS Assessments field names a CFD/Mello-Roos special tax on 3 of 740 Mission Viejo single-family sales, 11 of 484 in Lake Forest and 249 of 850 in Irvine. If your home carries a Mello-Roos lien, California Civil Code section 1102.6b has the seller make a good faith effort to obtain each agency's disclosure notice and deliver it to the buyer, as long as the agency makes it available. For your parcel's tax, ask your title company and a CPA or attorney.

How do I find out what my Mission Viejo home is worth?

Ask for a free comparative market analysis (CMA). It compares your home with recent Mission Viejo sales of similar size, then adjusts for condition, updates, pool, lot and view. A city median is only a starting point.

Thinking about selling your Mission Viejo home?

Bring your address and your timeline. What's your home worth today? Get a free home valuation, or call or text me at (949) 806-6834.

About Darren Shepherd

Darren Shepherd leads The Darren Shepherd Team at Compass, with 200+ homes sold and $210M+ in sales. He has over a decade of experience in real estate, and Mission Viejo is Darren's main market. Office: 33522 Niguel Road, Suite 100, Dana Point, CA 92629. Call or text (949) 806-6834.

Darren Shepherd is a California real estate salesperson, CA DRE #02000042. Responsible broker: Compass California, Inc., CA DRE #01991628.