The Town FilesRancho Santa Margarita, California
City in Orange County · population 47,949 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $971,200
- Household income
- $152,560
- Jan low / Jul high
- 49° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 40.9
Rancho Santa Margarita is a city of 47,949 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $971,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 93% of California towns, better for families than 88% of California towns, better for young professionals than 86% of California towns.
How Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Margarita is worth $971,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.4 times the median household income of $152,560, which is more affordable than 50% of California towns. Median rent is $2,625 a month. 72.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rancho Santa Margarita | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $971,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,625 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $152,560 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 72.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Rancho Santa Margarita
| People | Rancho Santa Margarita | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 22.4% | — |
| Work from home | 25.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.8% | 93.3% |
Weather in Rancho Santa Margarita
July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 48.6°F. About 13.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 62 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 9, 1982 about 5.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 18, 1988.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on April 18, 2000.
Severe weather in Orange County since 1996
Orange County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, chemical.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 16, 2026 | Fire | FM-5679: Norte Fire |
| May 25, 2026 | Chemical | EM-3646: Chemical Release |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| May 12, 2022 | Fire | FM-5439: Coastal Fire |
Jobs and pay in Orange County
Orange County had 1,661,276 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $81,403 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Rancho Santa Margarita itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.
Public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
8 public schools with 4,672 students, about 24.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate | 7-8 | 1,116 | 23.7 |
| Melinda Heights Elementary | K-6 | 950 | 29.7 |
| Trabuco Mesa Elementary | K-6 | 630 | 25.2 |
| Arroyo Vista Elementary | K-5 | 518 | 24.7 |
| Cielo Vista Elementary | K-6 | 488 | 22.2 |
| Arroyo Vista Middle | 6-8 | 330 | 20.6 |
| Las Flores Elementary | K-5 | 322 | 24.8 |
| Tijeras Creek Elementary | K-5 | 318 | 24.5 |
Towns near Rancho Santa Margarita
- Coto de Caza, CA2.5 mi · 14,710 people · home $1,535,600
- Las Flores, CA3.6 mi · 5,995 people · home $1,119,100
- Mission Viejo, CA3.7 mi · 93,653 people · home $1,009,600
- Lake Forest, CA4.7 mi · 85,858 people · home $937,000
- Ladera Ranch, CA6.3 mi · 26,170 people · home $1,151,000
- Laguna Hills, CA6.3 mi · 31,374 people · home $1,012,300
- Laguna Woods, CA7.7 mi · 17,644 people · home $394,600
- Aliso Viejo, CA8.3 mi · 52,176 people · home $917,900
Rancho Santa Margarita questions
Is Rancho Santa Margarita, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rancho Santa Margarita scores better for retirees than 52% of California towns and quieter than 32%. 12.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.9).
How much does a house cost in Rancho Santa Margarita?
The median owner-occupied home in Rancho Santa Margarita is valued at $971,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $152,560, so homes cost about 6.4 times income. Median rent is $2,625 a month.
What is the weather like in Rancho Santa Margarita?
July highs average 88.1°F and January lows 48.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Rancho Santa Margarita get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rancho Santa Margarita since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 9, 1982. 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)