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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Lake Forest, CA Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q4 2023. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Lake Forest, CA Housing Market Trends

With 85,638 people, 30,298 houses or apartments, and a median cost of homes of $1,037,794, real estate costs in Lake Forest are among some of the highest in the nation, although house prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive California communities.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Lake Forest, accounting for 53.74% of the city's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Lake Forest include row houses and other attached homes ( 18.78%), large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 18.31%), and a few duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 5.05%).

Owner-occupied, three and four bedroom dwellings, primarily in single-family detached homes are the most prevalent type of housing you will see in Lake Forest. Owner-occupied housing accounts for 69.74% of Lake Forest's homes, and 55.23% have either three or four bedrooms, which is average sized relative to America.

There is a lot of housing in Lake Forest built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Lake Forest built between 2000 and later ( 14.21%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 1940-1969 ( 8.91%).

Lake Forest Home Appreciation Rates

Real estate appreciation rates in Lake Forest's have tracked to near the national average over the last then years, with the annual appreciation rate averaging 6.11% during the period.

Over the last year, Lake Forest appreciation rates have trailed the rest of the nation. In the last twelve months, Lake Forest's appreciation rate has been 2.87%, which is lower than appreciation rates in most communities in America. In the latest quarter, NeighborhoodScout's data show that house appreciation rates in Lake Forest were at 0.15%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of 0.59%.

Relative to California, our data show that Lake Forest's latest annual appreciation rate is higher than 60% of the other cities and towns in California.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the city. Individual neighborhoods within Lake Forest differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Lake Forest - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Lake Forest real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$1,037,794

Lake Forest, CA Home Prices
> $1,262,000
$947,001 - $1,262,000
$631,001 - $947,000
$505,001 - $631,000
$379,001 - $505,000
$253,001 - $379,000
$126,001 - $253,000
$63,001 - $126,000
$0 - $63,000
26.9%
26.9%
37.3%
37.3%
18.2%
18.2%
7.9%
7.9%
3.6%
3.6%
1.3%
1.3%
2.0%
2.0%
1.8%
1.8%
1.1%
1.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
High

for California

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

30,298

Lake Forest Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$4,089 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
69.7%
69.7%
30.3%
30.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
4.9%
4.9%
95.1%
95.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
14.2%
14.2%
76.7%
76.7%
8.9%
8.9%
0.2%
0.2%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
53.7%
53.7%
18.8%
18.8%
5.1%
5.1%
18.3%
18.3%
4.1%
4.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
1.8%
1.8%
10.0%
10.0%
24.4%
24.4%
30.0%
30.0%
25.2%
25.2%
8.7%
8.7%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes