Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Among the top 3% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 4% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 97% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 51% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 89% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 52% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 6% for annual snowfall
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Rancho Santa Margarita is a mid-size city in California with about 48,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, annual snowfall, and airport distance. It rates lower on income tax and cost of living.
Official websitecityofrsm.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot summers · Mild winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
hot
warm
comfortable
87%59%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.1 in0.1 in
humid 35%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$150k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$83kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$861k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 3% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 4% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.75%better than 68% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden20.50%better than 5% of US places
Unemployment3.3%better than 56% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)57°F95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)76°F52nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation15.3 in8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days256 daysbetter than 76% of US places
Summer Humidity60°Fbetter than 73% of US places
Comfortable Days211 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk61.2better than 56% of US places
Air Quality53 AQIbetter than 9% of US places
School Quality50.4better than 36% of US places
Violent Crime181/100kbetter than 82% of US places
Property Crime471/100kbetter than 72% of US places
Community
Population47,70297th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age40.146th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5084th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9951st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningEven22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)59.4%23rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.7%64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)20.4%85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)12.2%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.3%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 43% of US places
Walkability11.4/20better than 91% of US places
Airport Distance16 mibetter than 91% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access96.7%better than 88% of US places
Amenities Nearby48.01better than 38% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 31% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Rancho Santa Margarita an affordable place to live?
- Rancho Santa Margarita is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $83k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- The median home value in Rancho Santa Margarita is $861k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- Median household income in Rancho Santa Margarita is $150k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- Median gross rent in Rancho Santa Margarita is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Rancho Santa Margarita safe?
- Rancho Santa Margarita is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 181/100k (better than 82%). Property crime is 471/100k.
- What is the weather like in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- Rancho Santa Margarita averages 76°F in July and 57°F in January, with 15.3 in of annual precipitation and about 256 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- Public-school quality in Rancho Santa Margarita is below average, scoring better than 36% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- The average one-way commute in Rancho Santa Margarita is 27 min.
Other places in Orange County
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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)