2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Lake Forest, CA vs Monterey, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Monterey older or younger than people in Lake Forest?
- The Median Age in Monterey is 2.7 years younger than in Lake Forest.

Are housing costs cheaper in Monterey or Lake Forest?
- Monterey housing costs are 9.0% more expensive than Lake Forest housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Monterey or Lake Forest?
- The average commute for residents of Monterey is 10.8 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Lake Forest.

Things to do in Lake Forest?
Lake Forest, California markets itself as the ultimate Southern California lifestyle with numerous parks, shopping centers, and miles of trails giving visitors plenty of options for an active lifestyle.

Things to do in Monterey?
Monterey, CA is an iconic beach city located on the Monterey Peninsula of California's central coast. This picturesque coastal community offers stunning beaches, world-class golf courses, fabulous restaurants and galleries, plus numerous other recreational activities.

 Lake Forest, CAMonterey, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock30,014329,725,481
 Median Income$117,374  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock37.438.4
 Avg. Home Price$937,500  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.8%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time26  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Lake Forest    16 Reviews

I've lived in Lake Forest for over a decade, before that elsewhere in OC and also up in LA. Lake Forest isn't perfect but it's really improved over the past decade,  More

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As a retired senior who has lived in Lake Forest (formerly El Toro) since 1977 I think LF is a great place if you can afford it. When we moved here in June '77 homes  More

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I’ve lived here for 2 years. Ok, it’s more like a 4 but there are so many idiots downplaying what it’s like here and giving Lake Forest ones and twos. There are a lot of  More

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Reviews for Monterey    21 Reviews

Over 8 years ago

The Monterey city area is an excellent place to live and one of the few California locales where it's relatively safe to raise a family. If I could no longer live here I  More

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I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula and had to leave to climb out of poverty. The median income is $35,000 and outside of the military, the jobs are mostly service  More

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My husband and I are just crazy about Monterey. I wonder if we take housing expenses (mortgage or rent) out of the picture, is Monterey still a very expensive city to  More

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