Ladera Ranch, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ladera Ranch, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Ladera Ranch | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,159 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4076.5 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.58% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.2 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,066 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ladera Ranch grew by 74.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,159 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ladera Ranch is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.0% of residents. That is 2.4 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,553 17.6% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,247 26.0% +2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,320 21.4% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,423 7.1% -8.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.7% of the people living in Ladera Ranch and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% California 49.9%
- Men 49.3% California 50.1%
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Economy
Ladera Ranch has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Ladera Ranch | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $199,876 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.11% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ladera Ranch is about 102% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Ladera Ranch | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $2,041,728 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $3,561 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.8% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ladera Ranch is about 47.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $3,561 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ladera Ranch spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 192 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ladera Ranch | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.0 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.1 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,954 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 29.2% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 55,160 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,808 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Ladera Ranch is about the same as in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Ladera Ranch has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Ladera Ranch | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61.8% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.32 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Ladera Ranch has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Ladera Ranch | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.4 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 6.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 8.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Ladera Ranch, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Ladera Ranch, CA is the smallest of the 5 cities compared here, 20,159 residents against a local median of 50,669. The measure that sets Ladera Ranch, CA apart most is median home price: $2,041,728, 69% above the local median of $1,206,186.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $199,876 against a local median of $134,623, 48% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 48% above the local median it puts Ladera Ranch, CA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $671,106 on median home price, so Ladera Ranch, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ladera Ranch, CA has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladera Ranch, CA | 20,159 | $199,876 #1/5 | $2,041,728 #1/5 | 23.0 min #4/5 |
| San Juan Capistrano, CA | 39,814 | $130,645 | $1,129,198 | 22.2 min |
| Mission Viejo, CA | 95,648 | $138,601 | $1,283,174 | 23.1 min |
| Laguna Niguel, CA | 61,524 | $141,440 | $1,579,109 | 22.6 min |
| Laguna Hills, CA | 29,550 | $108,246 | $908,003 | 21.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ladera Ranch, California.
How big is Ladera Ranch, California by population?
About 20,159 people live in Ladera Ranch, California, in 6,066 households of 3.3 people on average. The median age is 35.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Ladera Ranch, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ladera Ranch, California has 4,077 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 47 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ladera Ranch, California?
The median home costs 10.2 times the median household income ($2,041,728 against $199,876), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $3,561 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Ladera Ranch, California?
Unemployment in Ladera Ranch, California is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Ladera Ranch, California?
61.8% of adults in Ladera Ranch, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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