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Is Rancho Santa Margarita, CA a Good Place to Live?
Rancho Santa Margarita is a small city of 47,702 in California, with a median household income of $150,146 and a 3.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: Rancho Santa Margarita stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Rancho Santa Margarita is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Rancho Santa Margarita city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 115.5Rancho Santa Margarita's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Rancho Santa Margarita costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $861,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,441 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 72.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $150,146 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeRancho Santa Margarita's violent crime rate is 81.1 per 100,000 residents — 79% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Rancho Santa Margarita is served primarily by Capistrano Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Capistrano Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 36 | — |
| Middle Schools | 13 | — |
| High Schools | 9 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 49.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Rancho Santa Margarita sees average highs of 69.0°F in January and 88.1°F in July, with 15.2 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 69.0°F |
| Average High — July | 88.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,702 | — |
| Median Age | 40.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.3% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 68.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 12.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: