San Juan Capistrano, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Juan Capistrano, 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 Above average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | San Juan Capistrano | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,814 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2759.1 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.17% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,364 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Juan Capistrano grew by 12.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,814 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Juan Capistrano is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.6% of residents. That is 3.8 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,579 19.0% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,040 17.7% -6.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,401 23.6% +3.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,227 18.2% +2.9 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 51.3% of the people living in San Juan Capistrano and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% California 49.9%
- Men 48.7% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in San Juan Capistrano
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Economy
San Juan Capistrano has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | San Juan Capistrano | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $130,645 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.37% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Juan Capistrano is about 32% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Juan Capistrano | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,129,198 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,566 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Juan Capistrano is about 36.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,566 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Juan Capistrano spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 185 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Juan Capistrano | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.2 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.4 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 185 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,729 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 47,796 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,189 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in San Juan Capistrano is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes 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
San Juan Capistrano has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | San Juan Capistrano | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.7% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.74 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
San Juan Capistrano has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | San Juan Capistrano | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.3 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
San Juan Capistrano, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
San Juan Capistrano, CA is typical in size for this group, 39,814 residents against a local median of 42,197, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where San Juan Capistrano, CA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 36% below the local median of $1,766,097 at $1,129,198.
The cities themselves spread $556,952 on median home price, so San Juan Capistrano, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Juan Capistrano, CA has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan Capistrano, CA | 39,814 | $130,645 #5/5 | $1,129,198 #5/5 | 22.2 min #1/5 |
| Ladera Ranch, CA | 20,159 | $199,876 | $2,041,728 | 23.0 min |
| Dana Point, CA | 24,882 | $135,135 | $1,953,084 | 25.7 min |
| Laguna Niguel, CA | 61,524 | $141,440 | $1,579,109 | 22.6 min |
| San Clemente, CA | 59,513 | $141,974 | $1,484,775 | 26.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Juan Capistrano, California.
What is the population of San Juan Capistrano, California?
About 39,814 people live in San Juan Capistrano, California, in 14,364 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 45.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is San Juan Capistrano, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, San Juan Capistrano, California has 2,759 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 32 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in San Juan Capistrano, California?
The median home costs 8.6 times the median household income ($1,129,198 against $130,645), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,566 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in San Juan Capistrano, California?
42.7% of adults in San Juan Capistrano, 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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