The Town FilesRancho Santa Fe, California
Community in San Diego County · population 3,156 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $2,000,001
- Household income
- $175,792
- Jan low / Jul high
- 46° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 52.6
Rancho Santa Fe is a community of 3,156 people in San Diego County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 100% of California towns, better for families than 98% of California towns, more upscale than 95% of California towns.
How Rancho Santa Fe ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Rancho Santa Fe is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 11.4 times the median household income of $175,792, which is more affordable than 4% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 93.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rancho Santa Fe | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $175,792 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 11.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 93.1% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 16.8% | — |
Who lives in Rancho Santa Fe
| People | Rancho Santa Fe | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 29.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71.8% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.1% | — |
| Work from home | 32.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.2% | 93.3% |
Weather in Rancho Santa Fe
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 45.9°F. About 14.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rancho Santa Fe since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on January 29, 1998 about 6.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 22, 2007.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on June 3, 2009.
Severe weather in San Diego County since 1996
San Diego County has been included in 51 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2024 | Flood | DR-4758: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in San Diego County
San Diego County had 1,536,541 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $82,854 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Rancho Santa Fe itself the ACS puts it at 9.8%.
Public schools in Rancho Santa Fe
3 public schools with 885 students, about 15.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solana Santa Fe Elementary | K-6 | 342 | 21.4 |
| R. Roger Rowe Elementary | K-5 | 331 | 15.0 |
| R. Roger Rowe Middle | 6-8 | 212 | 11.8 |
Towns near Rancho Santa Fe
- Fairbanks Ranch, CA2.5 mi · 3,002 people · home $2,000,001
- Encinitas, CA4.2 mi · 62,007 people · home $1,646,800
- Solana Beach, CA4.2 mi · 12,941 people · home $2,000,001
- Del Mar, CA5.6 mi · 3,954 people · home $2,000,001
- Lake San Marcos, CA6.7 mi · 5,328 people · home $917,000
- San Marcos, CA7.6 mi · 94,833 people · home $868,000
- Carlsbad, CA8.7 mi · 114,746 people · home $1,257,000
- Escondido, CA10.3 mi · 151,038 people · home $714,500
Rancho Santa Fe questions
Is Rancho Santa Fe, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rancho Santa Fe scores better for retirees than 93% of California towns and quieter than 88%. 29.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.6).
How much does a house cost in Rancho Santa Fe?
The median owner-occupied home in Rancho Santa Fe is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $175,792, so homes cost about 11.4 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Rancho Santa Fe?
July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 45.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Rancho Santa Fe get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rancho Santa Fe since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on January 29, 1998. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)