Irvine vs Laguna Niguel
Irvine, California versus Laguna Niguel, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Irvine and Laguna Niguel score about the same overall (47 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Irvine | Laguna Niguel |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $123k | $136k |
| Cost of Living | $83k | $83k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $1.1M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.60% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.28% | 20.84% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.1 in | 12.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 256 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 277 days | 284 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 42.7 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.2 | 50.4 |
| Violent Crime | 434/100k | 367/100k |
| Property Crime | 1614/100k | 1042/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 304,527 | 64,259 |
| Median Age | 33.8 | 47.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.49 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 35.7% | 64.2% |
| Black (%) | 1.7% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.2% | 16.1% |
| Asian (%) | 44.1% | 11.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 11.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.3% | 95.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.90 | 78.12 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Irvine or Laguna Niguel more affordable?
- Laguna Niguel has the lower cost of living: its index is $83k, compared with Irvine's $83k and Laguna Niguel's $83k. Median rent is $3k in Irvine versus $3k in Laguna Niguel.
- Is Irvine or Laguna Niguel safer?
- Laguna Niguel has the lower violent crime rate. Irvine reports 434/100k and Laguna Niguel reports 367/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Irvine or Laguna Niguel?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Irvine and $1.1M in Laguna Niguel, so homes are more affordable in Irvine.