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Lake Forest vs Irvine

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+33.8 pts in Irvine) and property tax bill (+64% in Irvine).

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Lake Forest, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 86,281 people
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Irvine, CAHometown of 69 notable peopleCalifornia · 311,690 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Lake ForestAn outdoors town
Outdoors#105 most walkable in CA41 miles of trails across 42 parks and preserves Schools#85 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 87%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Lake Forest →
IrvineHometown of 69 notable people
Famous people69 notable peopleborn in Irvine Housing$1.49M typical home95% above the CA typical home College town5 collegesUniversity of California-Irvine All about Irvine →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Growth since 2010+33.8 pts
Irvine has grown faster since 2010
Irvine +44.9%Lake Forest +11.1%
Property tax bill+64%
Tax bills are bigger in Irvine
Irvine $9,543Lake Forest $5,812
Trails3×
Irvine has more miles of trail
Irvine 122.9 miLake Forest 41.0 mi
Jobs per worker2.9×
Irvine is more of a job hub
Irvine 2.39Lake Forest 0.82
Homeowners+26 pts renters
Irvine has more renters
Lake Forest 70.5%Irvine 44.5%
Work in town+20.9 pts
More of Irvine’s workers stay in town
Irvine 28.8%Lake Forest 7.9%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $2,030 more a month in Irvine

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Lake Forest$6,790/mo
Typical home $1.18M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $2,672/mo · Housing →
Irvine$8,820/mo
Typical home $1.49M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · or rent about $2,997/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,030 a month, about $24,300 a year, between Irvine and Lake Forest.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Lake Forest and Irvine share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Lake ForestIrvineLake ForestIrvine
Lake Forest ↔ Irvine5.7 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
7,824 Lake Forest residents work in Irvine (19.3% of its workers)
2,186 Irvine residents work in Lake Forest (1.9% of its workers)
Work & commute in Lake Forest →
Report cards

Irvine places higher on 16 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
BLake ForestSafer than 63% of U.S. towns BIrvineSafer than 56% of U.S. towns
Schools
ALake ForestBetter than 87% of districts in the state AIrvineBetter than 94% of districts in the state
Health
ALake ForestHealthier than 87% of U.S. towns A+IrvineHealthier than 95% of U.S. towns
7Lake Forest
16Irvine

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #362#133 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #164#37 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #555#741 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #161#20 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #192#335 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #241#103 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #150#16 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #105#231

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Lake Forest’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Lake ForestIrvine
Snow a year0″0″
January low43°F49°F
July high85°F83°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)82nd88th
Outdoors & history
Lake ForestIrvine
Trails41 mi123 mi
Conserved land20.3%21.9%
Settled19911971
National Register places13
Archive photos223
Famous people born here1369
Community
Lake ForestIrvine
Library hours a week60 hrs64 hrs
Colleges in town—5
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Lake ForestIrvine
People
Population 86,281Lowest 311,690Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +11.1%Lowest CA: +6.1% +44.9%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 40.2±1.1Highest 6% above CA 34±0.5Lowest 10% below CA
Kids under 18 21.3%±1.5Lowest CA: 22% 21.7%±0.8Highest CA: 22%
Irvine and Lake Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.8%±1.1Highest CA: 15.7% 10.8%±0.5Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 50.8%Lowest CA: 37.1% 70.6%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.6%±1Lowest CA: 7.6% 15.5%±0.7Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $135,175±$5kLowest 36% above CA $136,719±$6kHighest 38% above CA
Irvine and Lake Forest are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $937,000±$27kLowest 28% above CA $1,191,500±$21kHighest 62% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,672±$114Lowest 31% above CA $2,997±$51Highest 47% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $5,812Lowest 13% above CA $9,543Highest 86% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 62.3%±6.7Highest CA: 55.3% 52.9%±2.6Lowest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 8.5%Lowest CA: 12% 10.8%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.5%Highest CA: 55.9% 44.5%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1984Lowest 8 yrs newer than CA 2002Highest 26 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 11% below CA 25 minLowest 14% below CA
Work from home 24.4%±1.8Lowest CA: 17.2% 28%±1.3Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 7.9%Lowest 28.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miHighest 8.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.82Lowest 2.39Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Irvine (19%)Los Angeles (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 19% work in Irvine2% work in Lake Forest
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 20.3%Lowest 21.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 41.0 miLowest 122.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.5 miHighest 1.9 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 42Lowest 215Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 128Highest 102Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #85 of 574 in CA#37 of 574 in CA
School district Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley District · Saddleback Valley UnifiedIrvine International Academy District · Tustin Unified
High school in town El Toro HighArnold O. Beckman High
Students per teacherat that high school 21.5Lowest 26.4Highest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Lake Forest neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lake Forest’s Town Square.

Irvine neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Irvine’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Lake Forest

+ Compare
Mission Viejo92,151 people · $1.01M homes
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Trabuco Canyon1,326 people · $1.3M homes
+ Compare
Laguna Hills30,740 people · $1.01M homes
+ Compare
Modjeska714 people · $1.15M homes

Towns like Lake Forest

+ Compare
Chino Hills77,927 people · $875K homes
L
+ Compare
Livermore85,522 people · $1.11M homes
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Folsom83,916 people · $755K homes
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Rocklin73,327 people · $703K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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