Is Laguna Beach, CA a Good Place to Live?
Laguna Beach is a small city of 22,943 in California, with a median household income of $141,875 and a 6.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: Laguna Beach stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Laguna Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Laguna Beach city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 115.5Laguna Beach's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Laguna Beach costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Laguna Beach, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $2,000,001 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,701 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 67.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $141,875 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLaguna Beach's violent crime rate is 167.3 per 100,000 residents — 56% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Laguna Beach is served primarily by Laguna Beach Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Laguna Beach, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Laguna Beach Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 65.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Laguna Beach sees average highs of 68.4°F in January and 79.5°F in July, with 12.7 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Laguna Beach, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 68.4°F |
| Average High — July | 79.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Laguna Beach, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,943 | — |
| Median Age | 53.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 86.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 28.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: