The Town Files

Laguna Niguel, California

City in Orange County · population 64,355 (2020 Census)

Map: where Laguna Niguel is in CaliforniaLaguna Niguel
Median home
$1,190,900
Household income
$140,452
Jan low / Jul high
44° / 80°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
47.6

Laguna Niguel is a city of 64,355 people in Orange County, California. The median home is worth $1,190,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 90% of California towns, more upscale than 86% of California towns, more of a college town than 79% of California towns.

How Laguna Niguel ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Laguna Niguel lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement73rd pctFamilies70th pctQuiet38th pctWalkability66th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals90th pctVibrancy78th pctHip & trendy66th pctCollege town79th pctUpscale86th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling65th pctTransit51st pctDriving30th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Laguna Niguel is worth $1,190,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.5 times the median household income of $140,452, which is more affordable than 21% of California towns. Median rent is $2,903 a month. 67.4% of households own their home.

Laguna Niguel vs Orange County vs typical California townLaguna NiguelOrange CountyTypical California townHome value$1,190,900$962,600$596,900Household income$140,452$116,289$91,557Monthly rent$2,903$2,434$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingLaguna NiguelTypical California town
Median home value$1,190,900$596,900
Median rent$2,903$1,827
Median household income$140,452$91,557
Home value ÷ income8.5×6.4×
Homeownership67.4%67.4%
Median year built19861977
Seasonal / vacation homes2.1%—

Who lives in Laguna Niguel

PeopleLaguna NiguelTypical California town
Median age47.640.2
Age 65 and over22.4%17.7%
Under 1817.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher59.8%27.7%
Below the poverty line6.4%10.3%
Veterans4.2%—
Born outside the U.S.25.8%—
Work from home26.8%13.4%
Average commute25.9 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband96.5%93.3%

Weather in Laguna Niguel

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 44.2°F. About 12.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.

Laguna Niguel monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°68°44°Jan68°45°Feb69°48°Mar73°50°Apr75°55°May76°58°Jun80°60°Jul81°61°Aug81°59°Sep77°55°Oct72°49°Nov67°44°DecPrecipitation (in)2.83.41.60.80.20.10.10.00.20.51.11.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Laguna Beach station (4.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Laguna Niguel since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 9, 1982 about 4.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 29, 1992.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Laguna Niguel by decade11950s01960s01970s31980s11990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on September 10, 2011.

Severe weather in Orange County since 1996

Storm events in Orange County since 1996 by typeHeat33Flood80Wildfire41Dense Fog75High Surf58High Wind228Heavy Rain58Flash Flood58
NOAA Storm Events Database, Orange County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 24 deaths recorded.

Orange County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, chemical.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 16, 2026FireFM-5679: Norte Fire
May 25, 2026ChemicalEM-3646: Chemical Release
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
May 12, 2022FireFM-5439: Coastal Fire

Jobs and pay in Orange County

Orange County had 1,661,276 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $81,403 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Laguna Niguel itself the ACS puts it at 7.1%.

Largest industries in Orange CountyHealth care & social assistan…228,409 jobs · $64,644Hotels & restaurants174,391 jobs · $35,198Manufacturing153,972 jobs · $112,623Retail143,993 jobs · $50,475Administrative & support137,200 jobs · $57,310Professional & technical serv…136,974 jobs · $121,683
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Orange County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Orange 3.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Laguna Niguel

9 public schools with 4,413 students, about 21.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Community Roots Academy (charter)K-878618.7
Niguel Hills Middle6-873319.3
John Malcom ElementaryK-555124.0
Moulton ElementaryK-553024.1
Marian Bergeson ElementaryK-548624.3
Laguna Niguel ElementaryK-539722.1
George White ElementaryK-539022.9
Hidden Hills ElementaryK-531719.8
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts (charter)K-522324.8

Towns near Laguna Niguel

Laguna Niguel questions

Is Laguna Niguel, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Laguna Niguel scores better for retirees than 73% of California towns and quieter than 38%. 22.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.6).

How much does a house cost in Laguna Niguel?

The median owner-occupied home in Laguna Niguel is valued at $1,190,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $140,452, so homes cost about 8.5 times income. Median rent is $2,903 a month.

What is the weather like in Laguna Niguel?

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 44.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Laguna Niguel get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Laguna Niguel since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 9, 1982. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Laguna Niguel's Census boundary (GEOID 0639248). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.