Lake Forest, CA vs Pleasanton, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Lake Forest

65.3

#1638 nationally

vs

Pleasanton

64.1

#1720 nationally

Pleasanton leads in median household income ($181,639 vs $128,358). Lake Forest leads in average commute (24.6 min vs 34.3 min). Lake Forest leads in cost of living index (181 vs 231).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Lake Forest, CA Pleasanton, CA
WhereAtHome Score 65.3 (#1638) 64.1 (#1720)
Population 85,840 74,653
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $1,187,225 $1,530,327
Median Household Income $128,358 $181,639
Average Commute 24.6 min 34.3 min
Walk Score 41 42
Crime Level 4.0 3.2
School Rating N/A N/A
Cost of Living Index 181 231
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+2.6 D+53.6