Rancho Santa Margarita, CA vs Laguna Woods, CA

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

MetricRancho Santa Margarita, CALaguna Woods, CA
Population46,99017,289
Median Household Income$152,560$59,269
Median Rent$2,625/mo$2,328/mo
Median Home Value$971,200$394,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)114114
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income55.4%68.7%
Poverty Rate5.7%14.2%
Unemployment Rate3.9%4.1% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k11171
Property Crime Rate /100k461638
Median AQI5353
Good AQI Days /yr138138
Summer Highs87°F79°F
Winter Lows48°F44°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute26.2 min19.8 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher24.7—
College Degree Rate49.7%50.9%
Foreign-Born %22.4%32.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.5%-4.5%

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