City comparison
Lake Forest, CA is about 40 miles (70 km) from Redondo Beach, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 55 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Lake Forest, CA to Redondo Beach, CA takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Lake Forest has a population of 85,583, vs 70,620 in Redondo Beach — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Lake Forest covers about 17 sq mi vs 6.2 sq mi for Redondo Beach.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Lake Forest | Redondo Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,482/mo | $2,464/mo | 0.7% higher in Lake Forest |
| Median home value | $836,800 | $1,192,300 | 42.5% higher in Redondo Beach |
| Median household income | $128,358 | $134,033 | 4.4% higher in Redondo Beach |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 155.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lake Forest, you'd need $99,957 in Redondo Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lake Forest and Redondo Beach have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Lake Forest, you'd need about $79,965 in Redondo Beach to keep the same standard of living.