Signals
Coto de Caza
Rancho Santa Margarita
Opportunity
62 · Top 36%
vs60 · Top 41%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 7%
vs12 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs64 · Bottom 25%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs87 · Bottom 35%
Economic stability
76 · Top 15%
vs80 · Top 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Coto de Caza | Rancho Santa Margarita | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,190 | 46,990 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $243,816 | $152,560 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $104,388 | $65,824 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,948/sq mi | 3,635/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,535,600 | $971,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,501 | $2,625 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.6% | 72.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.1% | 49.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.0% | 5.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 79°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.2" | 11.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 29 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.1 min | 28.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.7 | 40.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 25.16 | 24.28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 22.1% | 29.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Coto de Caza
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Rancho Santa Margarita
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
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Coto de Caza
68
Your Score
—
Area Score
Rancho Santa Margarita
59
Your Score
52
Area Score
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Full profiles: Coto de Caza, CA · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA · How this is calculated: methodology