Laguna Niguel, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Laguna Niguel

Orange County · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim · population 64,185

Investors
Laguna Niguel, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Laguna Niguel, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Laguna Niguel stands

At or near all-time high. averaging 10.3% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $1,500,721
1-year +3.0%
5-yr CAGR +10.3%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$1501k$630k$940k$1251k$1561k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
52/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$3,235/mo$0$1,715$3,430202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent16413580100120140160202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 38.7
Rent

At a 38.7 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Laguna Niguel for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
65 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
88 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
44 · w16%
Rent YoY
66 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
82 · w10%
Long thesis

Laguna Niguel has averaged 10.3% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+3.0% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Laguna Niguel's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Laguna Niguel

Laguna Niguel is a city in Orange County, California, with an estimated population of 64,185. It anchors the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area. The median home value in Laguna Niguel is $1,500,721 as of 2026-04, up 3.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +10.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Laguna Niguel average $3,235 per month, up 3.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 10.3% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.
●Quiet strength: +3.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Premium territory: $1,500,721 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Laguna Niguel (Wikipedia)

Laguna Niguel is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the words "Laguna" and "Niguili". It also appeared in Spanish records as Nigüili, Nigüel, or Neuil from Juaneño (Acjachemem) nawil. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,355. Laguna Niguel is located in the San Joaquin Hills in the southeastern corner of Orange County, close to the Pacific Ocean, and borders the cities of Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, and San Juan Capistrano.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

Mayorcite WebRay Gennaway
Area14.79 sq mi
Elevation400 ft
EstablishedDecember 1, 1989Cite web
Densityauto/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Orange County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Orange County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Laguna Niguel

Fountain Valley, CA72 · RisingDana Point, CA72 · RisingCosta Mesa, CA70 · RisingSan Juan Capistrano, CA72 · Rising

Run the numbers for Laguna Niguel

ToolCan I afford Laguna Niguel?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Laguna Niguel rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Laguna Niguel to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLaguna Niguel cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Laguna Niguel listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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