Lake Forest, CA
Census place 0639496 · pop 86,281
Home of Saddleback Church, Rick Warren's evangelical megachurch, on land once dominated by the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$937,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,257/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
16 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
150 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
8.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
70.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
839 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.62% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
50.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$135,175 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
97.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
23.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is Lake Forest, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Lake Forest scores 52/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is natural disaster risk. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Lake Forest, CA?
- Lake Forest reports 150 violent crimes per 100k and 839 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Lake Forest, CA expensive to live in?
- Lake Forest has a median home value of $937,000 and typical rent around $3,257/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Lake Forest, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Lake Forest, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (23.5%) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of Saddleback Church, Rick Warren's evangelical megachurch, on land once dominated by the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.