Rancho Santa Margarita, CA vs Mission Viejo, CA

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

MetricRancho Santa Margarita, CAMission Viejo, CA
Population46,99092,151
Median Household Income$152,560$136,123
Median Rent$2,625/mo$2,839/mo
Median Home Value$971,200$1,009,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)114114
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income55.4%53.9%
Poverty Rate5.7%5.6%
Unemployment Rate3.9%4.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k111119
Property Crime Rate /100k461860
Median AQI5353
Good AQI Days /yr138138
Summer Highs87°F79°F
Winter Lows48°F44°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute26.2 min26.6 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—5.0 / 5
Students per Teacher24.721.8
College Degree Rate49.7%52.1%
Foreign-Born %22.4%22.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.5%-3.4%

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