Lake Forest is home to 86,281 people in California. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $937,000. That puts it in the top 3% of US cities for household income. The population is up 47% since 2000. Renters pay $2,672 a month at the median. 51% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $135,175, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
51% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 99%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lake Forest
What changed most since 2000
White share66.7% → 44.1%(−22.6 pts)US over the same years: −11.3 pts
Asian share9.6% → 19.7%(+10.0 pts)US over the same years: +2.3 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree33.9% → 50.8%(+16.9 pts)US over the same years: +11.3 pts
Lake Forest's population equals 2.7% of Orange County's. Its number of households without a car equals 1.4% of the county's. Its number of people who work from home equals 3.8% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)29%(684)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.6%(604)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.1%(756)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5%(118)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(32)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,357 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Lake Forest, decade by decade
Lake Forest population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
2000
58,707
$123,812
$470,898
33.9%
63.7
2010
77,264
$130,967
$832,933
41.9%
74.3
2020
85,858
$136,946
$827,459
49.2%
83.9
2024
86,281
$135,175
$937,000
50.8%
86.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
