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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Rancho Mission Viejo, CA

Thriving overall. Population 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 score75out of 100
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78
60
100
69
94

Population

11,971

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

60

4.1%

Unemployment is 4.1% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.2%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+53.2% 5-year

100

11,971

Population moved +53.2% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

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

Housing

Rent share of income

69

21.8%

Median rent consumes 21.8% 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$485.6B
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
1. Social Security Administration$13.3B
2. Department of Health and Human Services$5.6B
3. Department of Defense$1.5B

Top recipients

Dollars
1. RIVIAN NEW HORIZON, LLC$497.2M
2. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE$349.0M
3. ANDURIL INDUSTRIES, INC.$345.2M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

21.8%

of median income

1BR estimate$2,871
2BR estimate$3,781
Median income$192,813
Median home value$1,110,100

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

11,971

Median age

37.4

Bachelor's degree+

62.9%

Poverty rate

2.7%

Labor force participation

67.9%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

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

+8.9%

GDP CAGR

+5.5%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20207,816
20219,298
202210,697
202311,355
202411,971
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

202411,971
202513,338 *
202614,374 *

R² = 95.9% · * 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$192,813/yr
Median rent$3,501/mo
Rent share of income21.8%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$67,359/yr
Mortgage share of income34.9%

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

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate4.1%
State avg5.2%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation67.9%
Poverty rate2.7%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$1,110,100
Median monthly rent$3,501
Price-to-rent ratio26.4x

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

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score77/100
Economic growth78/100
Labor market60/100
Population momentum100/100
Overall stability75/100

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

Location Context

Rancho Mission Viejo CDP, California

City/Town

Part of

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Nearby locations

Ladera Ranch, CASan Clemente, CASan Juan Capistrano, CACoto de Caza, CALas Flores, CA