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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

Saved
PLACEThriving

Lake Forest, CA

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score68out of 100
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78
58
61
67
94

Population

86,281

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+5.6% YoY

78

$351.8B

Output changed +5.6% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.8%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

58

4.2%

Unemployment is 4.2% for July 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.1%
U.S. avg4.1%

Population

+1.9% 5-year

61

86,281

Population moved +1.9% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population39,287,377
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

67

23.7%

Median rent consumes 23.7% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$2.0K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.3K per resident

94

$23.4B

$23.4B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$485.8B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$23.4B

$7.3K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars

No agencies reported.

Top recipients

Dollars

No recipients reported.

Affordable

Housing Affordability

23.7%

of median income

1BR estimate$2,191
2BR estimate$2,886
Median income$135,175
Median home value$937,000

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

86,281

Median age

40.2

Bachelor's degree+

50.8%

Poverty rate

8.5%

Labor force participation

69.6%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.0%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.6%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

July 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-09-09

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.4%

GDP CAGR

+5.5%

Federal flow

N/A

Population (5 years)
202084,666
202185,516
202285,583
202385,846
202486,281
GDP (5 years)
2020$268.8B
2021$293.9B
2022$315.4B
2023$333.1B
2024$351.8B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

202486,281
202586,646 *
202687,002 *

R² = 90.4% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$351.8B
2025$374.1B *
2026$394.6B *

R² = 99.5% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$135,175/yr
Median rent$2,672/mo
Rent share of income23.7%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$56,856/yr
Mortgage share of income42.1%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate4.2%
State avg5.1%
U.S. avg4.1%
Labor force participation69.6%
Poverty rate8.5%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. July 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$937,000
Median monthly rent$2,672
Price-to-rent ratio29.2x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score67/100
Economic growth78/100
Labor market58/100
Population momentum61/100
Overall stability68/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Lake Forest city, California

City/Town

Part of

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Nearby locations

Mission Viejo, CALaguna Woods, CALaguna Hills, CAModjeska, CARancho Santa Margarita, CA