What kinds of homes are in Lake Forest, CA?

Name: Types of homes in Lake Forest, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Lake Forest, CA has 31,821 (±740) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 1,904 homes per square mile of land.

53.2% are detached single-family houses.

5.3% are in buildings of two to four units.

18.8% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 31,821 (±740)
Detached houses: 53.2%
2–4 unit buildings: 5.3%
5+ unit buildings: 18.8%

Homes in Lake Forest by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Lake Forest	Orange County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	53.2% (±2.5 points)	49.4%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	19.2% (±2.1 points)	13.0%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	0.9% (±0.5 points)	1.9%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	4.4% (±0.9 points)	7.0%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	7.3% (±1.3 points)	5.9%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	5.8% (±1.3 points)	4.7%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	5.7% (±1.1 points)	15.5%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	3.7% (±0.8 points)	2.7%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In Lake Forest, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is lower than in Orange County (26.1%).

It is also lower than in California (24.2%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Lake Forest

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Lake Forest
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Lake Forest	—	18.8% (±2.1 points)	—
Mission Viejo	3.3 mi	11.9% (±1.5 points)	Lower
Laguna Woods	4.3 mi	50.5% (±4.8 points)	Higher
Laguna Hills	4.6 mi	17.7% (±3.4 points)	Not measurably different
Rancho Santa Margarita	4.7 mi	20.1% (±2.8 points)	Not measurably different
Trabuco Canyon	5.0 mi	0.0% (±15.1 points)	Lower
Irvine	5.7 mi	36.9% (±1.3 points)	Higher
Las Flores	5.8 mi	25.6% (±10.2 points)	Not measurably different
Aliso Viejo	6.1 mi	33.6% (±3.5 points)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Mission Viejo, CA (11.9%), Trabuco Canyon, CA (0.0%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Laguna Woods, CA (50.5%), Irvine, CA (36.9%), Aliso Viejo, CA (33.6%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Orange County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
20 (tie)	La Palma	21.4% (±5.8 points)
20 (tie)	Rancho Mission Viejo	21.4% (±5.4 points)
22	Orange	20.8% (±1.6 points)
23	Laguna Niguel	20.2% (±2.1 points)
24	Rancho Santa Margarita	20.1% (±2.8 points)
25	Westminster	19.2% (±1.8 points)
26	Lake Forest	18.8% (±2.1 points)
27 (tie)	Laguna Hills	17.7% (±3.4 points)
27 (tie)	Placentia	17.7% (±2.6 points)
29	Dana Point	16.4% (±3.1 points)
30	Fountain Valley	16.1% (±2.2 points)
31	Cypress	15.7% (±2.6 points)
32	San Clemente	15.0% (±2.0 points)

Showing 13 of 42 places in Orange County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Lake Forest

How many homes are in Lake Forest?

Lake Forest, CA has an estimated 31,821 (±740) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Lake Forest houses or apartments?

53.2% are detached houses and 19.2% attached houses, while 24.1% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Lake Forest?

5.3% of homes in Lake Forest are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake Forest city, California

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Lake Forest city, California (place:39496, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.