© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
California
Lake Forest
Population 86,281
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
California
Rancho Santa Margarita
Population 46,990
Lake Forest, CA vs Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.
| Metric | Lake Forest, CA | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 86,281 | 46,990 |
| Median Household Income | $135,175 | $152,560 |
| Median Rent | $2,672/mo | $2,625/mo |
| Median Home Value | $937,000 | $971,200 |
| Cost of Living (US = 100) | 114 | 114 |
| Renters Paying 30%+ of Income | 60.4% | 55.4% |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5% | 5.7% |
| Unemployment Rate | 4% | 3.9% |
| Violent Crime Rate /100k | 165 | 111 |
| Property Crime Rate /100k | 701 | 461 |
| Median AQI | 53 | 53 |
| Good AQI Days /yr | 138 | 138 |
| Summer Highs | 87°F | 87°F |
| Winter Lows | 48°F | 48°F |
| Snowfall | 0 in/yr | 0 in/yr |
| Avg Commute | 25.5 min | 26.2 min |
| Hospitals | — | — |
| Avg Hospital Rating | — | — |
| Students per Teacher | 24.8 | 24.7 |
| College Degree Rate | 50.8% | 49.7% |
| Foreign-Born % | 27.4% | 22.4% |
| Population Growth (2020–2025) | +0.5% | -4.5% |
Lake Forest, CA
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.