Laguna Beach, California
City of Laguna Beach, California | |
|---|---|
| Location of Laguna Beach within Orange County, California. Location of Laguna Beach within Orange County, California. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Orange |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Toni Iseman |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 23,727 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Website | http://www.lagunabeachcity.net |
- Laguna Beach redirects here. For other uses, see Laguna Beach (disambiguation)
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort and artistic community located in southern Orange County, California, approximately 24 miles (39 km) southeast of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 23,727 at the 2000 census.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 23,727 people, 11,511 households, and 5,778 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,035.1/km² (2,681.5/mi²). There were 12,965 housing units at an average density of 565.6/km² (1,465.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.99% White, 0.80% African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.08% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.21% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.62% of the population.
There were 11,511 households out of which 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.8% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $75,808, and the median income for a family was $100,778. Males had a median income of $66,221 versus $46,138 for females. The per capita income for the city was $58,732. About 2.8% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
As with many coastal areas in Southern California, real estate in Laguna Beach is extremely expensive. The median home price has skyrocketed to $2,000,000. This has forced many potential home buyers out of the local market. This has been good and bad for local residents. Good because they can now sell their home for a lot more than they could have several years ago. Bad because most of the residents are middle to upper-middle class and on their incomes, many simply can't afford to buy a new home at the current median price. Like many other Southern California residents, residents of Laguna Beach are "House Rich" and/or "Money Poor" (ie. asset rich/income poor), which simply means that their homes are worth a significant amount of money but based on their median incomes, they wouldn't be able to afford a new home at the current median price or for the amount that their current home is worth.
Government and Politics
Of the 17,084 registered voters in Laguna Beach; 35.8% are Democrats and 41.2% are Republicans. The remaining 23% either declined to state political affiliation or are registered with one of the many minor political parties.
Although there are more registered Republicans, Laguna Beach is one of the most liberal cities in Orange County, and voted for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry over President Bush in 2004 by a margin of 57%-42%[1]. It was one of only three places in the generally conservative Orange County not to have a majority supporting the Republican Party. The other two cities were Laguna Woods (which consists almost entirely of a retirement community) and Santa Ana, the county's most ethnically diverse city.
The entire city of Laguna Beach lies within California's 48th congressional district, which is represented by Republican Congressman John Campbell. The city also lies in the 35th State Senate District, which is represented by Republican Senator Tom Harman, and in the 70th State Assembly District, which is represented by Republican Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.
Toni Iseman serves as Laguna Beach's mayor and Jane Egly as Mayor Pro Tem. The other three city council members are Kelly Boyd, Cheryl Kinsman, and Elizabeth Schneider.
Environment
Laguna Beach has long been known as the one of the most environmentally aware cities in Southern California. In Feb, 2007 the City Council unanimously voted to join the U.S. Mayors Climate Initiative.
Education
- Elementary Schools
- Top of the World Elementary
- El Morro Elementary
- Junior High Schools
- Thurston Middle School
- High Schools
- Laguna Beach High School
Emergency services
Fire protection in Laguna Beach is provided by the Laguna Beach Fire Department with ambulance service by Doctor's Ambulance. Law enforcement is provided by the Laguna Beach Police Department.
MTV
In 2004, MTV created a reality television show titled "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County", which has aired for 3 seasons. The show followed the lives of several young Laguna Beach residents as they finished high school and began college. There are rumors that the show was not a reality show and was scripted.
External links
- Laguna Beach Real Estate
- Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau - Tourism
- Laguna Beach Hotels
- photos & information
- Laguna Beach Weather and Live cams
