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CITY

Laguna Woods

California · 16,844 residents (2025 est.) · 3.34 sq mi
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Part of the Los Angeles metro area
The short version

Laguna Woods is a city of 17,289 people in California. At a median age of 74.9, this is an older place than the country as a whole. The foreign-born share is 32%. 51% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Households here earn about 40% less than in California as a whole. There are 5,173 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 74.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
51% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 125%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
17,289
+5%since 2000
from 16,507 in 2000
16,844 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
2000 – 2025
Population density
5,173 / sq mi
−4%since 2009
from 5,399 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
74.9
−4%since 2000
from 78.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
3.34 sq mi
Population, 2000 – 2024
16K16K17K18K18K2000201020202024Laguna Woods
202417K
2000201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 50%(0)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 90.2%(36)
US avg: 6%
10 to 140.2%(37)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 190%(0)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 240%(0)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 340.4%(76)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 441.2%(200)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 541.6%(281)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.2%(2,286)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7433.6%(5,810)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 8431.6%(5,468)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over17.9%(3,095)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$59,269
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,493 in 2000
US average: $82,259
2000 – 2024
Per capita income
$53,507
+67%since 2000
from $32,071 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
39.0%
+20.7 ptssince 2009
from 18.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.2%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 6.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.445
−2%since 2010
from 0.456 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services15.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Information11.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration2.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food2.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Finance & insurance2.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade2.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services0%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$394,600
+125%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $96,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
2000 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,328
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,036 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
71.6%
−13.2 ptssince 2000
from 84.9% in 2000
28.4% rent
Vacancy rate
12.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
1.47 people
+4%since 2009
from 1.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
38.9%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 43.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
68.7%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 64.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.7
−4%since 2009
from 6.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
70
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic94.4%(15,580)
Black0.2%(41)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(340)
Asian2.5%(412)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic67.4%(11,658)
Black0.6%(106)
Hispanic / Latino5.9%(1,028)
Asian22.8%(3,949)
Other3.2%(548)
Diversity Score
61
+120%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.4%(591)
Argentine0.6%(98)
Salvadoran0.4%(74)
Cuban0.2%(35)
Colombian0.2%(28)
Spaniard0.1%(17)
Bolivian0.1%(15)
Peruvian0.1%(15)
Asian origin
Korean8.7%(1,498)
Chinese7.6%(1,321)
Filipino2.1%(364)
Taiwanese1.3%(233)
Japanese0.9%(150)
Asian Indian0.8%(139)
Pakistani0.6%(103)
Laotian0.2%(33)
Thai0.1%(24)
Vietnamese0.1%(22)
Indonesian0.1%(15)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.5%(91)
Ancestry
English15.8%(2,733)
German14.5%(2,501)
Irish9.9%(1,713)
Italian5.5%(950)
American3.4%(594)
Polish3.2%(559)
Scottish3.2%(559)
Russian3.1%(529)
French2.9%(499)
Iranian2.2%(388)
Norwegian1.4%(244)
Scotch-Irish1.2%(207)
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish1.2%(202)
British1.1%(193)
Dutch0.9%(163)
Austrian0.8%(138)
Portuguese0.8%(130)
Welsh0.7%(118)
Hungarian0.7%(117)
Romanian0.6%(102)
Swiss0.5%(78)
Arab0.4%(76)
Lithuanian0.4%(72)
Ukrainian0.4%(61)
Australian0.3%(52)
Lebanese0.3%(47)
Danish0.2%(42)
Czech0.2%(39)
Finnish0.2%(36)
Greek0.2%(29)
Guyanese0.2%(28)
Slovak0.1%(25)
Belgian0.1%(16)
Croatian0.1%(15)
Egyptian0.1%(13)
Turkish0.1%(10)
Israeli0%(8)
Serbian0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
50.9%
+22.5 ptssince 2000
from 28.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.8%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 89.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
22.4%
+10.1 ptssince 2000
from 12.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.8 min
+23%since 2000
from 16.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
66.7%
−7.8 ptssince 2009
from 74.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.7%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
20.8%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
10.5%
−7.7 ptssince 2009
from 18.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.3%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 9.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
21.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2011
from 22.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
51.0%
−5.9 ptssince 2020
from 56.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
8.2%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 43.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
40.7%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 34.1% in 2009
Female
59.3%
−6.6 ptssince 2009
from 65.9% in 2009
Foreign born
32.3%
+12.6 ptssince 2009
from 19.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
10.0%
−10.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
30.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2012
from 29.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
1.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2013
from 3.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.4%
+16.6 ptssince 2017
from 72.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.4%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 91.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 88.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
70.0%
−4.8 ptssince 2016
from 74.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.9%
−1.0 ptssince 2016
from 4.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married11.6%(817)
Married63.3%(4,449)
Widowed8.5%(595)
Divorced16.6%(1,164)
Women 15+
Never married5.9%(604)
Married37.4%(3,809)
Widowed29.1%(2,964)
Divorced27.6%(2,814)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
1.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2013
from 3.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
24.5%
−3.6 ptssince 2020
from 28.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
28.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 27.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
84.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 82.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.8%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 4.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
48.3%
−2.1 ptssince 2020
from 50.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
87.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 86.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)1.4%(24)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)4.4%(75)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era43.8%(754)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War23.3%(401)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.6%(62)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,723 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Laguna Woods, California?

Laguna Woods, California has about 17,289 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Laguna Woods, California?

The typical household in Laguna Woods, California earns about $59,269 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Laguna Woods, California expensive?

In Laguna Woods, California, the median home is worth about $394,600, and the typical rent is about $2,328 a month.

How educated are people in Laguna Woods, California?

About 50.9% of adults age 25 and over in Laguna Woods, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Laguna Woods, California?

About 14.2% of people in Laguna Woods, California live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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