2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Lake Forest, CA vs Mountain View, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Mountain View older or younger than people in Lake Forest?
- The Median Age in Mountain View is 4.7 years younger than in Lake Forest.

Are housing costs cheaper in Mountain View or Lake Forest?
- Mountain View housing costs are 89.2% more expensive than Lake Forest housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Mountain View or Lake Forest?
- The average commute for residents of Mountain View is 3.0 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 Mountain View?
Mountain View, California offers a unique mix between traditional landmarks such as Moffett's Hangar One or the NASA Ames Research Center for any aerospace aficionado combined with modern attractions such as Shoreline Amphitheater or GooglePlex.

 Lake Forest, CAMountain View, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock82,409329,725,481
 Median Income$117,374  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock35.438.4
 Avg. Home Price$937,500  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.5%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 Mountain View    15 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

It’s  More

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I've lived here 25 years. Perfect climate. Very central for employment opportunities. Really great schools. 45 min to San Fran, 45 min to Santa Cruz beach. Shoreline  More

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Over 15 years ago

I was born and raised in Mountain View. I used to really like this city, and California. Unfortunately, the city (along with the state) has been over run with high  More

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