Is Lake Forest, CA growing?

Name: Growth 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 had an estimated 86,281 (±81) residents in 2020–2024, against 83,974 in 2015–2019.

That is a change of +2.7%, a measurable increase.

Its housing went from 30,738 to 31,821 homes (+3.5%), a measurable increase.

2.2% of today’s homes were built in 2020 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Residents now: 86,281 (±81)
Amount of change: +2.7%
Homes change: +3.5%
Built 2020 or later: 2.2%

Residents and homes in Lake Forest, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Residents	83,974 (±87)	86,281 (±81)	+2.7%	Measurable increase
Housing units	30,738 (±667)	31,821 (±740)	+3.5%	Measurable increase
Households that rent	30.7% (±1.7 points)	29.5% (±2.2 points)	−1.2 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$2,025 (±$72)	$2,672 (±$114)	+32.0%	Up after inflation
Median home value	$647,500 (±$10,717)	$937,000 (±$27,448)	+44.7%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Growth in Lake Forest against Orange County, its state and the nation

Change between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
	Residents	Verdict	Housing units
Lake Forest	+2.7%	Measurable increase	+3.5%
Orange County	−0.1%	Measurable decrease	+4.2%
California	0.0%	Measurable increase	+3.3%
United States	+3.1%	Measurable increase	+4.6%

A change in a place’s boundaries between the two periods (an annexation, say) changes its counts as well; the Census Bureau’s figures are for the place as it was drawn in each period.

New homes in Lake Forest

Housing units by year built, 2020–2024
Year built	Lake Forest	Orange County	California	United States
2020 or later	2.2% (±0.6 points)	1.3%	1.3%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	10.6% (±1.1 points)	8.1%	6.5%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	2.4% (±0.7 points)	8.3%	11.2%	13.6%

12.8% of the homes in Lake Forest were built in 2010 or later.

The median age of residents is 40.2 years.

Growth in places near Lake Forest

Change in residents between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Place	Distance	Residents now	Amount of change	Verdict
Lake Forest	—	86,281	+2.7%	Measurable increase
Mission Viejo	3.3 mi	92,151	−3.5%	Measurable decrease
Laguna Woods	4.3 mi	17,289	+7.7%	Measurable increase
Laguna Hills	4.6 mi	30,740	−2.8%	Measurable decrease
Rancho Santa Margarita	4.7 mi	46,990	−3.1%	Measurable decrease
Irvine	5.7 mi	311,690	+14.1%	Measurable increase
Las Flores	5.8 mi	5,513	−5.9%	Not a measurable change
Aliso Viejo	6.1 mi	51,113	+0.9%	Measurable increase
Coto de Caza	6.5 mi	15,190	+0.9%	Not a measurable change

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Lake Forest

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Lake Forest beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Lake Forest, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Lake Forest, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Lake Forest

Is Lake Forest growing?

Lake Forest, CA had an estimated 86,281 residents in 2020–2024 and 83,974 in 2015–2019, a change of +2.7%: a measurable increase by the Census Bureau’s test.

How many homes have been added in Lake Forest?

The estimated number of housing units went from 30,738 in 2015–2019 to 31,821 in 2020–2024 (+3.5%), a measurable increase.

How much new construction is there in Lake Forest?

2.2% of homes in Lake Forest were built in 2020 or later and 10.6% between 2010 and 2019.

Sources

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 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25001_001E, B25001_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP05_0018E, DP05_0018M

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.