Lake Forest, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lake Forest, 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 Above average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Lake Forest | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 77,757 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4630.5 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.20% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 26,727 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lake Forest grew by 17.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 77,757 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lake Forest is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.2% of residents. That is 0.5 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,734 18.9% -2.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 18,813 24.2% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 18,338 23.6% +3.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,789 13.9% -1.4 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 50.4% of the people living in Lake Forest and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% California 49.9%
- Men 49.6% California 50.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lake Forest
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Economy
Lake Forest has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Lake Forest | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $137,212 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.83% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lake Forest is about 38% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Lake Forest | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $940,329 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,697 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lake Forest is about 29.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,697 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lake Forest 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 | Lake Forest | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.0 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.0 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,938 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 23.9% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 30,725 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,931 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Lake Forest 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
Lake Forest has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Lake Forest | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.2% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.88 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Lake Forest has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Lake Forest | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.9% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Lake Forest, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Lake Forest, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Forest, CA | 77,757 | $137,212 #2/3 | $940,329 #2/3 | 23.0 min #2/3 |
| Mission Viejo, CA | 95,648 | $138,601 | $1,283,174 | 23.1 min |
| Laguna Hills, CA | 29,550 | $108,246 | $908,003 | 21.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lake Forest, California.
What is the population of Lake Forest, California?
About 77,757 people live in Lake Forest, California, in 26,727 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 37.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Lake Forest, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lake Forest, California has 4,631 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 54 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lake Forest, California?
The median home costs 6.9 times the median household income ($940,329 against $137,212), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,697 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Lake Forest, California have a college degree?
44.2% of adults in Lake Forest, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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