Hot semi-arid
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Orange County, California · Population 47k · 935 ft elevation
Living in Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita has a hot semi-arid climate: hot summers (July highs around 87°F) and very mild winters (January lows around 47°F).
Precipitation is dry at about 13″ a year, and it essentially never sees snow.
Skies are exceptionally sunny (81% of possible sunshine). Muggy weather is occasional (5 days a year).
Air quality is poor: a median AQI of 53, with about 13 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.
Rancho Santa Margarita is an outdoor hub: about 15% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 2,500 ft around town.
Rancho Santa Margarita at a glance
- Population
- 47k
- Elevation
- 935 ft
- Average daily high
- 78°F84th percentile
- Average daily low
- 53°F79th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 13″6th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 0″0th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 3,585 hrs92th percentile
- Median AQI
- 5389th percentile
- Median home value
- $908k96th percentile
- Median rent
- $2,481/mo95th percentile
- Median household income
- $147k93th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.69%25th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 13.3%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 8.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.0%
- Homes with broadband
- 97%89th percentile
- Walkability index
- 10.469th percentile
- Average commute
- 27 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 54%64th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 65%
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 10093th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9191th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 42%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 15%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 2,461 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°F | 47°F | 2.7″ | — | 246 hrs |
| Feb | 69°F | 47°F | 3.5″ | — | 233 hrs |
| Mar | 72°F | 48°F | 1.7″ | — | 291 hrs |
| Apr | 75°F | 51°F | 0.8″ | — | 310 hrs |
| May | 78°F | 54°F | 0.3″ | — | 328 hrs |
| Jun | 81°F | 57°F | 0.0″ | — | 336 hrs |
| Jul | 87°F | 61°F | 0.1″ | — | 372 hrs |
| Aug | 89°F | 61°F | 0.0″ | — | 369 hrs |
| Sep | 88°F | 60°F | 0.1″ | — | 322 hrs |
| Oct | 83°F | 57°F | 0.6″ | — | 288 hrs |
| Nov | 74°F | 51°F | 0.8″ | — | 255 hrs |
| Dec | 67°F | 46°F | 2.3″ | — | 235 hrs |
Near Rancho Santa Margarita
- Coto de Caza, CA · 15k
- Las Flores, CA · 6k
- Mission Viejo, CA · 92k
- Lake Forest, CA · 86k
- Ladera Ranch, CA · 24k
- Laguna Hills, CA · 31k
- Laguna Woods, CA · 17k
- Aliso Viejo, CA · 51k
Largest places in California
- Los Angeles, CA · 3.9M
- San Diego, CA · 1.4M
- San Jose, CA · 990k
- San Francisco, CA · 836k
- Fresno, CA · 544k
- Sacramento, CA · 525k
- Long Beach, CA · 458k
- Oakland, CA · 438k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology