Rancho Santa Margarita, CA vs Laguna Hills, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricRancho Santa Margarita, CALaguna Hills, CA
Population46,99030,740
Median Household Income$152,560$128,851
Median Rent$2,625/mo$2,728/mo
Median Home Value$971,200$1,012,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)114114
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income55.4%61%
Poverty Rate5.7%7.8%
Unemployment Rate3.9%4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k111219
Property Crime Rate /100k461849
Median AQI5353
Good AQI Days /yr138138
Summer Highs87°F79°F
Winter Lows48°F44°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute26.2 min27.4 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—4.0 / 5
Students per Teacher24.722.9
College Degree Rate49.7%54.7%
Foreign-Born %22.4%25.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.5%-4.3%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.