Housing Market Overview

The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.

$1,713,460
$2,491

Housing Market Overview

Metric Rancho Santa Margarita California Avg US Average
Median Home Price $1,713,460 $642,203 $242,182
Price Trend (Annual %) 21.3% 10.0% 8.2%
Median Gross Rent $2,491 $1,955 $1,342
Rent Trend (Annual %) 5.3% 6.0% 5.1%
Household Income Trend (Annual %)

The median home price in Rancho Santa Margarita is about 167% higher than in California. Rent is about 27% higher than the California average.

Median Home and Rent Price Trends

Median Home Prices, 2015-2023

Rancho Santa Margarita
California
United States
Year Rancho Santa Margarita California United States

Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023

Rancho Santa Margarita
California
United States
Year Rancho Santa Margarita California United States

Both home prices and rent are rising in Rancho Santa Margarita, up about 21.3% and 5.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

Median rent in Rancho Santa Margarita rose about 47.2% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,692 to $2,491. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.

Affordability

On average, housing unit costs 12.2 yearly household incomes in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Buying the median-priced home in Rancho Santa Margarita costs roughly 57.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Rancho Santa Margarita. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.

Metric Rancho Santa Margarita California Avg US Average
Median Home Price $1,713,460 $642,203 $242,182
Median Household Income $140,187 $96,718 $78,145
Price-to-Income Ratio 12.2 6.6 3.1

Home Prices vs Income Over Time

Home Prices
Household Income

Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Rancho Santa Margarita rose about 267.5%, while median household income rose about 48.1% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.

Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)

Compare income and housing cost trends.

Household Income Growth %
Housing Cost Growth %
Year Income Growth % Housing Cost Growth % Gap (Cost - Income)

Occupancy & Tenure

Metric Rancho Santa Margarita California Avg US Average
Homeownership Rate 69.2% 51.6% 58.2%
Rental Rate 27.3% 40.9% 31.3%
Vacancy Rate 3.5% 7.6% 10.6%
Median Tenure (years) 13.0 15.0 15.0
Median Year Moved In 2013 2011 2011

Rancho Santa Margarita has a homeownership rate of 69.2%, higher than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 3.5%, compared with 7.6% in California.

Housing Stock

Metric Rancho Santa Margarita California Avg US Average
Average Household Size 2.83 people 2.85 people 2.54 people
Median Structure Built Year 1992 1975 1978
Median Number of Rooms 5.3 5.0 5.5

The typical housing unit in Rancho Santa Margarita was built around 1992. On average, 2.8 people live in a home with about 5.3 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the housing market in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

What is the median home price in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

The median home price in Rancho Santa Margarita, California is $1,713,460, higher than the California average of $642,203.

What is the average home price in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.

What is the median rent in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

The median gross rent in Rancho Santa Margarita, California is $2,491 per month, higher than the California average of $1,955.

What was the median gross rent in Rancho Santa Margarita in 2020?

In 2020, the median gross rent in Rancho Santa Margarita, California was $2,135 per month.

What is the price-to-rent ratio in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

The price-to-rent ratio in Rancho Santa Margarita, California is about 57.3, meaning it would take roughly 57.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Are home prices or rent rising faster in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?

Both home prices and rent are rising in Rancho Santa Margarita, up about 21.3% and 5.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

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

69.2% of households in Rancho Santa Margarita, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.6%.

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

The housing vacancy rate in Rancho Santa Margarita, California is 3.5%, lower than the California average of 7.6%.