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CITY · 2020 ACS

Rancho Santa Margarita

California · 47,949 residents · 12.9 sq mi
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The short version

Rancho Santa Margarita is home to 47,949 people in California. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $679,500. That is roughly 59% ahead of the California median. Median household income runs $125,329, well clear of the $66,278 US median. Median rent is $2,133 a month. 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 33% nationally.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.0
US median: 38.8
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
47,949
+2%since 2000
from 47,214 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.0
+25%since 2000
from 31.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
12.9 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
8K19K30K42K53K19902000201020202024Rancho Santa Margarita
202447K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.1%(2,438)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(2,953)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.9%(3,332)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.3%(3,522)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(2,909)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.7%(5,589)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.6%(6,510)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5415.7%(7,537)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6416%(7,693)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 747.6%(3,642)
US avg: 10%
75 to 842.7%(1,297)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.1%(527)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$125,329
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $78,475 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$54,013
+71%since 2000
from $31,531 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
72.8%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 66.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
5.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 2.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade12%
US avg: 10%
Other services10.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Information9.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Public administration7.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing5%
US avg: 2.5%
Finance & insurance3.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade3.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$679,500
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $272,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,133
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,110 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
69.6%
−8.7 ptssince 2000
from 78.3% in 2000
30.4% rent
Persons per household
2.85 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.95 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
5.4
−14%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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic58.2%(27,930)
Black1.6%(761)
Hispanic / Latino21.5%(10,297)
Asian11.9%(5,711)
Other5.6%(2,667)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican14.9%(7,182)
South American2.3%(1,095)
Central American2.1%(1,031)
Salvadoran1.3%(627)
Spaniard0.9%(453)
Argentine0.8%(408)
Peruvian0.7%(333)
Puerto Rican0.7%(332)
Guatemalan0.2%(115)
Colombian0.2%(108)
Nicaraguan0.2%(103)
Costa Rican0.2%(95)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(87)
Honduran0.1%(70)
Bolivian0.1%(47)
Chilean0.1%(43)
Cuban0.1%(37)
Venezuelan0.1%(30)
Asian origin
Filipino3%(1,425)
Asian Indian2.7%(1,280)
Chinese1.7%(828)
Japanese0.9%(414)
Korean0.6%(278)
Vietnamese0.5%(249)
Laotian0.2%(113)
Pakistani0.2%(88)
Taiwanese0.2%(82)
Indonesian0.1%(69)
Thai0.1%(41)
Malaysian0%(24)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Cambodian0%(21)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.3%(158)
Chamorro0.1%(48)
Ancestry
German12.7%(6,121)
Irish11.8%(5,706)
English9.6%(4,636)
Italian8.1%(3,893)
American2.8%(1,335)
French2.6%(1,235)
Scottish2.2%(1,061)
Polish2.1%(1,015)
Swedish2%(963)
Norwegian1.8%(869)
Dutch1.6%(760)
Iranian1.4%(687)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
British1.4%(677)
Russian1.3%(607)
Portuguese0.9%(419)
Welsh0.8%(400)
Danish0.8%(375)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(336)
Hungarian0.5%(259)
Czech0.5%(239)
Brazilian0.4%(212)
Greek0.4%(197)
Ukrainian0.3%(159)
Swiss0.3%(155)
Armenian0.3%(148)
Romanian0.3%(123)
Egyptian0.2%(116)
Lithuanian0.2%(108)
Nigerian0.2%(95)
Austrian0.2%(83)
Moroccan0.2%(82)
Canadian0.1%(65)
Croatian0.1%(65)
West Indian0.1%(56)
Slovak0.1%(54)
Iraqi0.1%(38)
Turkish0.1%(32)
Latvian0.1%(28)
Lebanese0.1%(25)
Finnish0%(24)
Slovene0%(22)
Belgian0%(19)
Haitian0%(18)
Jamaican0%(17)
Syrian0%(14)
Israeli0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.8%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 43.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
94.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 95.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
14.9%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.2 min
+27%since 2000
from 23.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
77.6%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 83.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.2%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 5.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
73.2%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 74.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.3%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
49.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
51.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
18.1%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
3.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
97.5%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
88.0%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
3.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 8.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
73.6%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.2%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
9.6%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
9.0%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.0%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
85.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
17.7%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)27.3%(483)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)25.6%(454)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era28.7%(508)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War6%(106)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.3%(41)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 1,771 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

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Compare Rancho Santa Margarita to nearby cities

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
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Income$136,123+9%
Home value$1,009,600+49%
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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
Lake Forest
Income$135,175+8%
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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA VS
Ladera Ranch
Income$184,458+47%
Home value$1,151,000+69%
Population23,793−48%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

Rancho Santa Margarita, California has about 47,949 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Rancho Santa Margarita, California earns about $125,329 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 $679,500, and the typical rent is about $2,133 a month.

How educated are people in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

About 48.8% 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 5.0% 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 36,559 residents, a change of about 321 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →