Laguna Beach, CA

Census place 0639178 · pop 22,710

D−50/ 100
🫤 Rough
B
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Broadband98.7% · top 1%
🚽 Cost$2,000,001 · bottom 1%
Taxes
0.50% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Housing cost$2,000,0010

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$2,000,001 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$4,986/mo1

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$4,986/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Income inequality0.543

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.54 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1004

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level16 days13

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

16 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Air quality (AQI)County-level54 AQI14

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

54 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time29 min21

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

29 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Population growth (5yr)-1.4%22

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-1.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Violent crime rate240/100k43

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

240 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.7%47

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership66.1%56

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

66.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Property crime rate1031/100k60

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

1031 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Poverty rate6.1%80

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

6.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health14.1%86

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Property-tax burden0.50%91

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.50% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Physical inactivity16.6%92

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

16.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Median household income$143,84393

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$143,843 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Bachelor's degree or higher69.3%95

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

69.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult obesity23.2%95

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

23.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Adult smoking7.0%96

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

7.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Uninsured adults3.7%98

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

3.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Broadband access98.7%99

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

98.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Frequently asked

Is Laguna Beach, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Laguna Beach scores 50/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is broadband access and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Laguna Beach, CA?
Laguna Beach reports 240 violent crimes per 100k and 1031 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Laguna Beach, CA expensive to live in?
Laguna Beach has a median home value of $2,000,001 and typical rent around $4,986/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Laguna Beach, CA?
Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($2,000,001) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Laguna Beach, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is broadband access (98.7%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.