CITY · 2020 ACS
Lake Forest
California · 85,858 residents · 16.714 sq mi
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The short version
Lake Forest is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $112,988. Population has grown 46% since 2000. 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 33%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $682,700. Households here earn about 44% more than the California median.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.5
US median: 38.8
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 76%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 2000 – 2024
202486K
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.8%(4,971)
5 to 95.9%(5,105)
10 to 145.9%(5,038)
15 to 196%(5,179)
20 to 246%(5,175)
25 to 3413.4%(11,475)
35 to 4414.4%(12,368)
45 to 5413.8%(11,871)
55 to 6414.2%(12,223)
65 to 749%(7,735)
75 to 844%(3,394)
85 and over1.5%(1,324)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$112,988
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $67,967 in 2000
US average: $66,278
2000 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
67.3%
+6.4 ptssince 2009
from 60.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade11.9%
Information10.5%
Other services8.4%
Public administration6%
Wholesale trade5.2%
Finance & insurance3.8%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
Construction0.7%
Education & health services0.7%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$682,700
+76%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $258,500 in 2000
US average: $265,253
2000 – 2024
6.0
−7%since 2009
from 6.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Lake Forest on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic66.7%(39,161)
Black1.7%(998)
Hispanic / Latino18.6%(10,913)
Asian9.6%(5,647)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic47.2%(40,506)
Black1.5%(1,312)
Hispanic / Latino25.6%(21,945)
Asian19.4%(16,650)
Other5.3%(4,561)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican17.5%(14,775)
Central American2%(1,688)
South American1.5%(1,243)
Salvadoran0.9%(804)
Guatemalan0.6%(526)
Spaniard0.6%(493)
Peruvian0.4%(378)
Puerto Rican0.4%(376)
Argentine0.3%(247)
Bolivian0.3%(220)
Colombian0.2%(194)
Ecuadorian0.2%(142)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(123)
Cuban0.1%(121)
Costa Rican0.1%(104)
Honduran0.1%(104)
Chilean0%(41)
Nicaraguan0%(27)
Venezuelan0%(21)
Asian origin
Chinese3.8%(3,244)
Filipino3.6%(3,039)
Asian Indian2.4%(2,069)
Vietnamese2.2%(1,864)
Korean2%(1,675)
Japanese1.4%(1,170)
Indonesian0.4%(317)
Thai0.3%(281)
Laotian0.3%(275)
Sri Lankan0.2%(175)
Taiwanese0.2%(162)
Nepalese0.2%(131)
Ancestry
German10.9%(9,254)
English9.2%(7,814)
Irish7.5%(6,377)
Italian5.7%(4,865)
American3.6%(3,038)
Polish2.3%(1,924)
French2.1%(1,764)
Scottish2%(1,670)
Swedish1.7%(1,480)
Norwegian1.7%(1,468)
Russian1.3%(1,124)
Dutch1.1%(969)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian1.1%(961)
British0.9%(731)
French Canadian0.8%(715)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(672)
Egyptian0.7%(632)
Danish0.7%(610)
Greek0.7%(583)
Hungarian0.7%(560)
Welsh0.5%(439)
Subsaharan African0.5%(437)
Armenian0.4%(326)
Swiss0.3%(286)
Canadian0.3%(283)
Portuguese0.3%(283)
Czech0.3%(282)
Ukrainian0.3%(250)
Jordanian0.3%(230)
Croatian0.3%(228)
Lebanese0.2%(208)
Lithuanian0.2%(190)
Austrian0.2%(189)
Romanian0.2%(154)
Finnish0.2%(152)
Belgian0.1%(117)
Syrian0.1%(113)
Serbian0.1%(113)
Turkish0.1%(89)
Ghanaian0.1%(78)
Arab0.1%(66)
Slovak0.1%(59)
Bulgarian0.1%(58)
Palestinian0.1%(48)
Israeli0%(29)
Brazilian0%(28)
Moroccan0%(20)
Australian0%(18)
West Indian0%(11)
Jamaican0%(11)
Macedonian0%(9)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.6%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 88.7% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Section 08
People & community
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married32.6%(11,374)
Married60.2%(20,979)
Widowed1.4%(480)
Divorced5.8%(2,009)
Women 15+
Never married26%(9,294)
Married56.5%(20,214)
Widowed6.6%(2,349)
Divorced10.9%(3,909)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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LAKE FOREST VS
Mission Viejo
Income$136,123+20%
Home value$1,009,600+48%
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LAKE FOREST VS
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Home value$394,600−42%
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LAKE FOREST VS
Laguna Hills
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Home value$1,012,300+48%
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LAKE FOREST VS
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Income$152,560+35%
Home value$971,200+42%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Lake Forest, California?
Lake Forest, California has about 85,858 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lake Forest, California?
The typical household in Lake Forest, California earns about $112,988 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lake Forest, California expensive?
In Lake Forest, California, the median home is worth about $682,700, and the typical rent is about $2,121 a month.
How educated are people in Lake Forest, California?
About 49.2% of adults age 25 and over in Lake Forest, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lake Forest, California?
About 6.5% of people in Lake Forest, California live below the federal poverty line.
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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024