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Living in Lake Forest

Lake Forest's population was 86,281 in July 2026. There were 14,729 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. The city had 35 schools in 2026. In July 2026, owner occupation was 70.5% and the vacancy rate was 4.26%.

Last checked 2026-09-1937 sources

Population86,333people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Median gross salary4,672EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Median rent2,349EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Unemployment rate4.91%31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Recorded crime975.4offences per 100,000country median 1,586 — 39% belowOfficial source · FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting
PM2.5, annual mean11µg/m³31 Dec 2024Independent source · EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Lake Forest?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$2,672 per month, while the median home value was US$937,000 in July 2026. 62.3% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Lake Forest recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€60
Mobile plan, 10 GB€22
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited60.38 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Verizon 300 Mbps home internet23Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB21.57 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Visible unlimited mobile plan24Official · national market
Median gross rent$2,672/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent62.28 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Housing vacancy rate (legacy series)4.26 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents789 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)2,690 EUR/month31 Dec 2020ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)3Official
Median monthly rent2,349 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Recorded property crimes604 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official

Is Lake Forest a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker45%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 36–54%
Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on housing · range 44–62%
Student41%strong on education, weak on housing · range 31–51%
Family42%strong on family, weak on cost · range 33–51%
Retirement38%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 27–49%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

27.4% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 23,665 of 86,333 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$135,175 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Lake Forest is 4.9%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median household income135,175 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband86.13 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with a broadband subscription97.11 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with internet but no subscription0.67 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households without internet2.19 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households with satellite internet6.14 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Median gross salary4,672 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)26Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)4,127 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov25Official
Unemployment rate4.91 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

What does a salary buy in Lake Forest?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €4,127 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€443of €3,216 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€3,216
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31− €2,690
Internet€60 · official · Verizon 300 Mbps home internet · 2026-09-30− €60
Mobile plan€22 · official · Visible unlimited mobile plan · 2026-09-30− €22
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€443
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Lake Forest Salary needed to live in Lake Forest

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Lake Forest. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Lake Forest. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with high school education or higher94.02 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Schools35 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count16Official
School enrolment, share of residents24.67 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Mental health provider ratio454 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official
Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents14,729 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official
Preventable hospitalizations1,723 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Lake Forest when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesLake Forest highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Lake Forest highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Philadelphia5,457
Houston5,442
San Antonio5,218
Chicago4,012
Dallas4,010
Austin3,709
Fort Worth3,158
Phoenix3,125
New York City3,039
Los Angeles2,212
San Diego2,082
Lake Forest975
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents975.4 offences per 100,000country median 1,58631 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting14Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents76.13 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official
Recorded violent crimes144 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average commute time25.47 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers commuting by bicycle0.43 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers commuting by public transport1.03 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers walking to work1.09 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Destinations from nearest airport21 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights20Official
Nearest airportSNA3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official
Distance to nearest airport17 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports21Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Lake Forest. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridCost varies

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Lake Forest.

Find courses near Lake Forest

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Lake Forest is 11.0 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean11 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202437Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 19.89 · Feb 20.61 · Mar 22.06 · Apr 23.44 · May 24.78 · Jun 26.44 · Jul 29.5 · Aug 30.72 · Sep 30.44 · Oct 28.67 · Nov 24.39 · Dec 21.06 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 6.28 · Feb 7 · Mar 8.78 · Apr 9.78 · May 12.56 · Jun 14.56 · Jul 16.33 · Aug 17.28 · Sep 16.17 · Oct 12.67 · Nov 8.5 · Dec 6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official
Average temperature by monthJan 13.11 · Feb 13.83 · Mar 15.44 · Apr 16.61 · May 18.67 · Jun 20.5 · Jul 22.94 · Aug 24 · Sep 23.28 · Oct 20.67 · Nov 16.44 · Dec 13.5 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 88.14 · Feb 93.73 · Mar 50.29 · Apr 22.35 · May 11.43 · Jun 2.29 · Jul 1.78 · Aug 0.254 · Sep 3.56 · Oct 28.19 · Nov 27.94 · Dec 57.4 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information19Official
PM2.5, highest monitored reading50.7 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5, annual mean9.74 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5 monitoring sites2 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
Annual precipitation609.3 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Maximum July temperature22.98 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature16.94 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Minimum January temperature11.93 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Similar climate. In United States: Simi Valley ±1.6 °C. Elsewhere: Elche (Spain) ±2.4 °C, Roquetas de Mar (Spain) ±2.9 °C, Dos Hermanas (Spain) ±2.6 °C, Almada (Portugal) ±2.3 °C, Amadora (Portugal) ±2.3 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 23,665 is not 11% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share11 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)9Official
Foreign residents23,665 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Population density1,994 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau10Official
Population86,333 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program22Official
Population covered by crime statistics87,471 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median home value937,000 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Owner-occupied homes70.48 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Labour force participation rate69.58 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Residents born abroad27.43 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Naturalized citizens, share of residents16.43 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Non-citizens, share of residents11 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Flu vaccination coverage65.54 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage7Official
Mammography screening coverage79.5 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate8Official
Residents without health insurance4.09 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher50.83 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Crime reporting agencies1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official
Households with a vehicle available97.56 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent5Official
Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database0 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers aged 16 and over45,194 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Workers mainly working from home24.43 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official
Households using cellular data plans93.7 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population6Official

Alternatives for people set on Lake Forest

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Rancho Santa Margarita as a Lake Forest alternative in the same region

9 km away, better on 3 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 605 Rancho Santa Margarita vs 975 Lake Forest−38%
  • Median gross pay, city: €5,407 Rancho Santa Margarita vs €4,672 Lake Forest+16%
  • Unemployment: 4.1% Rancho Santa Margarita vs 4.9% Lake Forest−17%
  • Nearest airport: 25.0 km Rancho Santa Margarita vs 17.0 km Lake Forest+47%
  • Foreign residents: 7.9% Rancho Santa Margarita vs 11.0% Lake Forest−28%
  • Residents: 45,779 Rancho Santa Margarita vs 86,333 Lake Forest−47%
  • Median gross pay, region: €4,127 Rancho Santa Margarita vs €4,127 Lake Forestsame level

San Ramon as a Lake Forest alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 601 km, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Median gross pay, city: €7,711 San Ramon vs €4,672 Lake Forest+65%
  • Median gross pay, region: €5,487 San Ramon vs €4,127 Lake Forest+33%
  • Annual PM2.5: 5.6 µg/m³ San Ramon vs 11.0 µg/m³ Lake Forest−49%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,199 San Ramon vs 975 Lake Forest+23%
  • Foreign residents: 13.5% San Ramon vs 11.0% Lake Forest+23%
  • Unemployment: 5.2% San Ramon vs 4.9% Lake Forest+5%
  • Residents: 86,209 San Ramon vs 86,333 Lake Forest−0%

Cities near Lake Forest

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Las Flores 8.5 km away
Rent
2,714 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
5,920 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Irvine 10.5 km away
Salary
5,785 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2024-12-31
Coto De Caza 10.8 km away
Rent
3,235 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
7,449 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Lake Forest, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

How does Lake Forest compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Lake Forest's.

Lake Forest in rankings

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Lake Forest?

The median gross salary is 4,127 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Lake Forest?

The unemployment rate is 4.91 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Lake Forest?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 11 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Lake Forest?

Police recorded 975.4 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Lake Forest?

The published population is 86,333 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Lake Forest?

23,665 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Lake Forest a good place to live?

Lake Forest may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Lake Forest?

Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Aliso Viejo, Las Flores are near Lake Forest. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Lake Forest (California), United States: population, rent [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b56f30622344dc4edbf70f5ef12297e2]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/lake-forest-ca/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_lake-forest-california-united-states-population-rent_7c31c6f7b161,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Lake Forest (California), United States: population, rent},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b56f30622344dc4edbf70f5ef12297e2},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/lake-forest-ca/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Lake Forest (California), United States: population, rent](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/lake-forest-ca/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b56f30622344dc4edbf70f5ef12297e2; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
  2. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
  3. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  4. ACS 2024 1-year table-based Summary File, table B20002 (Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars) by Sex for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  5. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  6. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  7. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  8. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  9. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
Show 27 more sources
  1. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  2. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  3. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  4. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  5. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  6. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  7. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  8. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  11. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  12. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  13. Verizon 300 Mbps home internet verizon.com · checked 2026-09-15
  14. Visible unlimited mobile plan visible.com · checked 2026-09-15
  15. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  16. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  17. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  19. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  20. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  21. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  22. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  23. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  24. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  25. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  26. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  27. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.