Lake Forest, California
Among the top 1% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 99% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 39% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 95% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 56% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 5% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Lake Forest is a mid-size city in California with about 86,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, airport distance, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on monthly rent and cost of living.
Official websitecity-lakeforest.com (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Mild winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
hot
warm
comfortable
87%59%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.1 in0.1 in
humid 34%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$128k93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$83kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$837k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 2% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 6% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.64%better than 77% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden20.40%better than 6% of US places
Unemployment5.0%better than 39% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)57°F96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)75°F43rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation15.3 in8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days277 daysbetter than 88% of US places
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 82% of US places
Comfortable Days254 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk72.1better than 40% of US places
Air Quality48 AQIbetter than 38% of US places
School Quality49.8better than 35% of US places
Violent Crime427/100kbetter than 69% of US places
Property Crime1062/100kbetter than 45% of US places
Community
Population85,58399th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age40.045th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6295th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9850th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningEven22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)48.9%17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.1%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)23.5%87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)19.2%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.3%79th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time25 minbetter than 58% of US places
Walkability12.7/20better than 94% of US places
Airport Distance11 mibetter than 95% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access96.3%better than 87% of US places
Amenities Nearby62.63better than 44% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 31% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lake Forest an affordable place to live?
- Lake Forest is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $83k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Lake Forest?
- The median home value in Lake Forest is $837k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Lake Forest?
- Median household income in Lake Forest is $128k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Lake Forest?
- Median gross rent in Lake Forest is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Lake Forest safe?
- Lake Forest is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 427/100k (better than 69%). Property crime is 1062/100k.
- What is the weather like in Lake Forest?
- Lake Forest averages 75°F in July and 57°F in January, with 15.3 in of annual precipitation and about 277 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Lake Forest?
- Public-school quality in Lake Forest is below average, scoring better than 35% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Lake Forest?
- The average one-way commute in Lake Forest is 25 min.
Other places in Orange County
Places near Lake Forest
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)