CensusEasy
CITY · 2010 ACS

Rancho Santa Margarita

California · 47,853 residents · 12.9 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Los Angeles metro area
Compare
The short version

Rancho Santa Margarita is home to 47,853 people in California. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $603,900. That is roughly 64% ahead of the California median. 48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 28% nationally. Median household income runs $99,722, well clear of the $52,703 US median. Median rent is $1,623 a month.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 36.0
US median: 37.2
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 75%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
47,853
+1%since 2000
from 47,214 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.0
+13%since 2000
from 31.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
12.9 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
8K19K30K42K53K19902000201020202024Rancho Santa Margarita
202447K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.3%(3,026)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 97.7%(3,702)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 149.1%(4,356)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 198.6%(4,130)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.1%(2,458)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.8%(5,624)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4416.9%(8,082)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5419.5%(9,318)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 649.3%(4,446)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 743.2%(1,520)
US avg: 7%
75 to 841.7%(796)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over0.8%(395)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$99,722
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $78,475 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$40,438
+28%since 2000
from $31,531 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
66.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 66.2% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
3.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 2.9% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.372
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade12.8%
US avg: 10.9%
Information11.9%
US avg: 11.5%
Other services11.1%
US avg: 7%
Public administration7.8%
US avg: 4.9%
Wholesale trade5.9%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance3.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 3.1%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
US avg: 4.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.7%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.4%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$603,900
+75%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $272,900 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,623
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,110 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
71.4%
−6.8 ptssince 2000
from 78.3% in 2000
28.6% rent
Vacancy rate
2.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.94 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.95 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
49.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
6.1
−4%since 2009
from 6.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.4%(35,132)
Black1.7%(787)
Hispanic / Latino13%(6,139)
Asian7.3%(3,440)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic67%(32,054)
Black1.6%(788)
Hispanic / Latino18.6%(8,902)
Asian8.9%(4,268)
Other3%(1,437)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican12.1%(5,749)
Spaniard0.7%(340)
Cuban0.3%(159)
Puerto Rican0.3%(138)
Argentine0.3%(132)
Honduran0.2%(118)
Peruvian0.2%(114)
Colombian0.2%(112)
Guatemalan0.2%(90)
Salvadoran0.1%(48)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ancestry
German19.3%(9,193)
Irish15.6%(7,393)
English9.7%(4,607)
Italian8.1%(3,838)
Scottish4.6%(2,192)
Polish4.3%(2,047)
French3.1%(1,470)
American3.1%(1,469)
Swedish2.1%(979)
Dutch2%(961)
British1.8%(868)
Norwegian1.7%(797)
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish1.5%(702)
Iranian1.2%(579)
Russian1.1%(503)
Danish0.8%(401)
Arab0.8%(376)
Portuguese0.7%(348)
Czech0.7%(338)
Canadian0.6%(298)
Welsh0.6%(278)
Swiss0.5%(251)
Hungarian0.5%(231)
Finnish0.5%(230)
Greek0.4%(191)
Austrian0.4%(170)
Armenian0.3%(127)
Israeli0.2%(100)
Lebanese0.2%(93)
Croatian0.2%(76)
Slovak0.2%(76)
Australian0.1%(68)
Iraqi0.1%(66)
Lithuanian0.1%(61)
Ukrainian0.1%(61)
West Indian0.1%(54)
Jamaican0.1%(44)
Turkish0.1%(38)
Egyptian0.1%(35)
Bulgarian0.1%(34)
Latvian0.1%(27)
Slovene0.1%(27)
Romanian0%(21)
Belgian0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.3%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 43.8% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
95.8%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 95.1% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
15.9%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.5 min
+20%since 2000
from 23.0 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
83.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 83.1% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
7.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
6.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
3.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
12.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
49.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
51.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
15.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
6.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married29%(5,571)
Married62.2%(11,949)
Widowed2%(382)
Divorced6.8%(1,305)
Women 15+
Never married25.1%(4,901)
Married61.2%(11,953)
Widowed4.7%(910)
Divorced9%(1,760)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
5.0%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
70.6%
−3.0 ptssince 2020
from 73.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 12.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
11.8%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 9.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
9.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 9.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
82.7%
−2.9 ptssince 2020
from 85.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
19.6%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 17.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)24.7%(386)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)30.2%(472)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.2%(457)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.2%(34)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(23)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,564 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Rancho Santa Margarita

Coral Gables
Pop 49,578
Milton
Pop 41,266
Fruit Cove
Pop 35,877
Lakewood Ranch
Pop 43,945
Places similar to Rancho Santa Margarita
Head to head

Compare Rancho Santa Margarita to nearby cities

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
Coto de Caza
Income$243,816+144%
Home value$1,535,600+154%
Population15,190−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
Mission Viejo
Income$136,123+37%
Home value$1,009,600+67%
Population90,484+98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
Lake Forest
Income$135,175+36%
Home value$937,000+55%
Population86,333+89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
Ladera Ranch
Income$184,458+85%
Home value$1,151,000+91%
Population23,793−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

Rancho Santa Margarita, California has about 47,853 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

The typical household in Rancho Santa Margarita, California earns about $99,722 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rancho Santa Margarita, California expensive?

In Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the median home is worth about $603,900, and the typical rent is about $1,623 a month.

How educated are people in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

About 48.3% of adults age 25 and over in Rancho Santa Margarita, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

About 3.5% of people in Rancho Santa Margarita, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rancho Santa Margarita, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Rancho Santa Margarita, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 36,463 residents, a change of about 320 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
California

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →