Lake Forest property owners paid property taxes amounting to 0.5% of their home values in the fourth quarter of 2025, which is under 0.6 times the national average, according to BlockShopper.com.
Data from the 117 homes sold in Lake Forest during the fourth quarter of 2025 show a median sales price of $1,340,000. The city’s median property tax bill that year was $6,913, accounting for 0.5% of the median assessed home value.
The nationwide average effective property tax rate stood at 0.888% in 2024.
Ladera Ranch recorded the highest property tax rate in Orange County.
This article calculates the effective property tax rate for 2025 using estimated inflation and 2021 tax data supplied by the county. Actual rates may vary in some circumstances.
According to Redfin data, U.S. home prices saw an increase in 2025, with the median nationwide price reaching approximately $447,000 in June, up 1.13% from the prior year. Figures also indicate a major imbalance in supply and demand, with 36% more sellers than buyers—a difference of 508,715 homes. A balanced market, as defined by Redfin, exists when seller and buyer numbers are within 10% of each other.
The table below shows a comparison between Ladera Ranch and other cities in Orange County based on their median effective property tax rates, calculated using sales and property tax data for the fourth quarter of 2025.
| City | Q4 2025 Sales | Q4 2025 Median Price | Median tax 2025 | Effective tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladera Ranch | 22 | $1,750,000 | $15,674 | 0.9% |
| Tustin | 59 | $1,335,000 | $9,023 | 0.7% |
| Brea | 36 | $1,034,000 | $7,536 | 0.7% |
| Las Flores | 6 | $1,302,500 | $9,576 | 0.7% |
| Los Alamitos | 21 | $1,270,000 | $7,911 | 0.6% |
| Buena Park | 70 | $920,000 | $5,482 | 0.6% |
| Placentia | 61 | $1,145,000 | $6,542 | 0.6% |
| North Tustin | 13 | $1,855,000 | $11,098 | 0.6% |
| Fullerton | 155 | $1,150,000 | $6,673 | 0.6% |
| Westminster | 87 | $1,062,000 | $6,245 | 0.6% |
| Cypress | 56 | $1,085,000 | $6,254 | 0.6% |
| Orange | 159 | $1,130,500 | $6,672 | 0.6% |
| Laguna Hills | 40 | $1,360,000 | $8,226 | 0.6% |
| Anaheim | 273 | $1,040,000 | $6,026 | 0.6% |
| Yorba Linda | 91 | $1,499,000 | $9,695 | 0.6% |
| Garden Grove | 124 | $1,005,000 | $6,067 | 0.6% |
| Aliso Viejo | 23 | $1,250,000 | $7,747 | 0.6% |
| Rancho Santa Margarita | 54 | $1,230,000 | $7,325 | 0.6% |
| La Habra | 75 | $940,000 | $5,556 | 0.6% |
| Stanton | 19 | $880,000 | $5,290 | 0.6% |
| Seal Beach | 25 | $1,614,000 | $9,803 | 0.6% |
| Midway City | 6 | $1,170,000 | $6,578 | 0.6% |
| Laguna Niguel | 96 | $1,579,500 | $8,668 | 0.5% |
| Santa Ana | 139 | $910,000 | $4,872 | 0.5% |
| Huntington Beach | 241 | $1,450,000 | $7,510 | 0.5% |
| Newport Beach | 165 | $4,050,000 | $18,814 | 0.5% |
| Lake Forest | 117 | $1,340,000 | $6,913 | 0.5% |
| Fountain Valley | 49 | $1,350,500 | $6,278 | 0.5% |
| San Clemente | 111 | $1,800,000 | $9,558 | 0.5% |
| Irvine | 137 | $2,200,000 | $10,815 | 0.5% |
| Costa Mesa | 118 | $1,672,500 | $7,634 | 0.5% |
| Mission Viejo | 146 | $1,329,000 | $6,410 | 0.5% |
| Laguna Beach | 62 | $2,787,500 | $14,304 | 0.5% |
| San Juan Capistrano | 57 | $1,505,000 | $7,662 | 0.5% |
| La Palma | 9 | $1,237,000 | $6,166 | 0.5% |
| Coto de Caza | 36 | $2,225,000 | $12,021 | 0.5% |
| Rossmoor | 17 | $1,753,000 | $9,396 | 0.5% |
| Villa Park | 7 | $2,649,000 | $12,515 | 0.5% |
| Dana Point | 60 | $2,525,500 | $10,330 | 0.4% |
Data referenced in this article was sourced from BlockShopper.com. Access the original data here.
