Orange County · California · West · 47k residents
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Rancho Santa Margarita: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,631/wk. California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%. Commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh.
Compare Rancho Santa Margarita side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,631/wk
Corporate income tax
8.84%
Bachelor's degree or higher
49.7%
Commercial electricity
25.5¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Rancho Santa Margarita's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
44/100
Steady
Ranks Rancho Santa Margarita's jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $971,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $470 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $2,266/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,835/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% |
| Corporate income tax | 8.84% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,631/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.7% |
| Commercial electricity | 25.5¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 49.6/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $160,920 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $135,560 |
| Wage: General manager | $125,830 |
| Wage: Customer service | $48,840 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $38,650 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $60,340 |
| Wage: Electrician | $73,810 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $37,700 |
| Cost of living index | 162 |
| Groceries index | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $4.80/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,450/mo |
| Median household income | $152,560 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% |
| Population | 47k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 29 min |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days |
| July high | 88°F |
| January low | 49°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -2.0% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +3.1% |
| Rent MoM | +0.7% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.1% |
| Building permits YoY | — |
| Ocean coast | 15 mi |
| Big lake | 194 mi |
| Mountains | 44 mi |
| Major airport | 16 mi |
| Ski resort | 44 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Lake Forest, CA · 86k
- Mission Viejo, CA · 92k
- Aliso Viejo, CA · 51k
- Laguna Niguel, CA · 64k
- Irvine, CA · 312k
Similar size
- La Mirada, CA · 47k
- Brea, CA · 47k
- Los Banos, CA · 48k
- Cerritos, CA · 48k
- North Highlands, CA · 48k
Real listings in Rancho Santa Margarita
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Rancho Santa Margarita a good place to run a business?
- California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,631/wk; commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA?
- Rancho Santa Margarita indexes at 162 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,835/mo and a acs median home value of $971,200.
- How much does a house cost in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- The acs median home value in Rancho Santa Margarita is $971,200 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- A two-bedroom in Rancho Santa Margarita rents for about $2,835/mo.