Rancho Santa Margarita, California Housing Market Prices
Rancho Santa Margarita Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 191% above the California median$1,896,598
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Median rent 30% above the California median$2,641
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,896,598 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 22.1% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,641 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.4% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Rancho Santa Margarita is about 191% higher than in California. Rent is about 30% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Rancho Santa Margarita, up about 22.1% and 5.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Rancho Santa Margarita rose about 56.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,692 to $2,641. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 13.1 yearly household incomes in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Buying the median-priced home in Rancho Santa Margarita costs roughly 59.9 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 26.6.
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,896,598 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $144,943 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 13.1 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Rancho Santa Margarita rose about 307.3%, while median household income rose about 45.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 67.7% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 28.9% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 3.3% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
Rancho Santa Margarita has a homeownership rate of 67.7%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 3.3%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.66 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1992 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Rancho Santa Margarita was built around 1992. On average, 2.7 people live in a home with about 5.2 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities
How Rancho Santa Margarita, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 40,046 | $1,896,598 #1/3 | $2,641 #3/3 | 70.1% #2/3 |
| Mission Viejo, CA | 95,648 | $1,283,174 | $2,813 | 76.9% |
| Lake Forest, CA | 77,757 | $940,329 | $2,697 | 69.3% |
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 $1,896,598, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?
The typical home price in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, reported as the median sale price, is $1,896,598. 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 $2,641 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
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 59.9, meaning it would take roughly 59.9 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 22.1% and 5.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?
67.7% of households in Rancho Santa Margarita, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Rancho Santa Margarita, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Rancho Santa Margarita, California is 3.3%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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