2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Lake Forest, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Santa Barbara older or younger than people in Lake Forest?
- The Median Age in Santa Barbara is 1.0 years younger than in Lake Forest.

Are housing costs cheaper in Santa Barbara or Lake Forest?
- Santa Barbara housing costs are 62.7% more expensive than Lake Forest housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Santa Barbara or Lake Forest?
- The average commute for residents of Santa Barbara is 8.9 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 Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara, California has something for everyone - from fantastic beaches to world-class shopping and dining experiences. Visitors can explore Old Mission Santa Barbara or take part in various water activities around Stearns Wharf.

 Lake Forest, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock89,132329,725,481
 Median Income$117,374  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock39.138.4
 Avg. Home Price$937,500  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.1%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 Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

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Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

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If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

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