Laguna Niguel

The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the words "Laguna" (Spanish for "lagoon") and "Niguili" (the name of a Native American village once located near Aliso Creek) As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,355. The city is located in the San Joaquin Hills in the southeastern corner of Orange County, close to the Pacific Ocean. It is known for its mild coastal climate, low crime rate, and its numerous parks and public trails. As a predominantly residential city, Laguna Niguel serves as a bedroom community for the job centers of northern and central Orange County. It has a median household income 31 percent above the Orange County average and nearly double the U.S. average. The name of the city was created from "laguna", a reference to the tidal lagoon that once formed at the mouth of Aliso Creek, and Niguili, the name of an Acjachemem village that once occupied the area. In 1842, the 13,316-acre (5,389 ha) Rancho Niguel was granted to Juan Avila; he retained ownership of the land through the MexicanAmerican War (when California became part of the United States) until 1865, when a severe drought forced him into bankruptcy. In 1895 Lewis Moulton and Jean Pierre Daguerre bought the rancho and other portions of the surrounding area from farmers who were struggling due to persistent drought conditions. In 1951 the land was divided between the Moultons and Daguierre families, the latter inheriting 8,056 acres (3,260 ha) in the future location of Lagunas Niguel. In 1962, the first tracts of 565 Terrace were completed, consisting of nearly 565 homes.

History

Laguna Niguel is the primary city name, but also Laguna Beach are acceptable city names or spellings. The first recorded inhabitants of the Laguna Niguel area were the Acjachemem Native Americans, who may have had a village called "Niguili" near the confluence of Aliso Creek and Sulphur Creek. In the 1700s, during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Spanish missionaries established the nearby Mission San Juan Capistrano. In 1842, the 13,316-acre (5,389 ha) Rancho Niguel was granted to Juan Avila; he retained ownership of the land through the MexicanAmerican War (when California became part of the United States) until 1865, when a severe drought forced him into bankruptcy. In 1895 Lewis Moulton and Jean Pierre Daguerre bought the Rancho and other portions of the surrounding area from farmers who were struggling due to persistent drought conditions. In 1959, Cabot, Cabot & Forbes and Paine Webber partnered to form the Lagunas Niguel Corporation, which purchased the Daguers' land to develop one of California's first master planned communities. The name of the city was created from "Laguna", a reference to the tidal lagoon that once formed at the mouth of Alister Creek, and the name of a village Niguili that once occupied the area. The initial 7,100-acre town plan was created by Viennese architect Victor Gruen and expanded beginning in 1971 by AVCO Community Developers. By 1965 the population of Laguna niguel reached 1,000. In 1977 Dana Point briefly proposed incorporation as a single city.

Geography

Laguna Niguel consists of mostly hilly terrain, being located within the San Joaquin Hills. Neighboring cities are Aliso Viejo and Laguna Hills to the north, Mission Viejo to the east, Laguna Beach and Dana Point to the south. On the west, it borders the significant unincorporated acreage of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. The main watercourses are Salt Creek, which flows through the southern part of the city, and Sulphur Creek, which drains much of the northern half. The highest monthly rainfall on average occurs in February and is 3.4 inches (86 mm) Precipitation is sparse, as only five months out of the year receive rainfall greater than one inch, with an annual average of 14.2 inches (360 mm) The highest recorded temperature was 108 °F (42 °C), which occurred in 1963, and the lowest temperature was 21°F (6 °C) in 1949. On average, August is the hottest month and December the coolest. Although the city is located very close to the Pacific, it does not border it, the result of a controversy over the coastline with Dana Point in 1989 (see #History). The average elevation is 400 feet (120 m); elevations range from near sea level to 936 feet (285 m) at the summit of Niguel Hill, in the southwest corner of theCity. The city has a total area of14.9 square miles (39 km²) of which 0.05 square miles of it is water.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Laguna Niguel had a population of 62,979. The racial makeup of the city was 83.50% White, 1.25% African American, 0.29% Native American, 7.73% Asian, 3.12% Pacific Islander, 348% from other races, and 10.38% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The city's population was spread out, with 14,216 people under the age of 18, 4,722 people (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 14,667 people (23.3%) aged 25 to 44, 21,177 people (33.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 8,197 people (13.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median household income was $99,771, with 6.3% of the population living below the federal poverty line. There were 25,312 housing units at an average density of 1,700.5 per square mile (656.6/km²), of which 17,453 were owner-occupied, and 6,779 (28.0) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate is 5.4%. 45,029 people (71.5% of. the population) lived in owner- occupied housing units and 17,702 people (28.1%) lived in rental housing units. The average household size was 2.59; the average family size was 3.06.

Government and politics

The City Council consists of five members, elected from the city at-large, who serve staggered four-year terms. Annually, the City Council appoints a Mayor and a Mayor Pro Tempore from its own membership to serve a one-year term. Laguna Niguel is historically a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the city since its incorporation. Of the 40,461 registered voters, 16,071 (39.72%) are registered Republicans, 11,615 (28.71%) areregistered Democrats, and 10,843 (26.80%) have no political party preference/are independents. The City Hall is located at 30111 Crown Valley Parkway. In the Orange County Board of Supervisors Laguna Niguel is part of the 5th District and represented by Supervisor Lisa A. Bartlett. The city is in California's 48th congressional district, represented by Republican Michelle Steel. The California State Legislature is in the 36th Senate District and the 73rd Assembly District. The mayor is Elaine Gennawey, and the mayor pro Tempore is Sandy Rains, who also serves as the city's chief administrative officer. The council is made up of four members, all of whom are elected from within the city for a staggered four year term, and one member from each of the three at- Large seats on the city council. The Mayor and mayor pro tempore serve one year each.

Economy

As a bedroom community, most residents commute outside of Laguna Niguel to central and north Orange County cities, such as Irvine and Newport Beach. According to the City's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Chevron, Exxon-Mobil, and Chevron. Most jobs within Laguna Niguel are in the service industry, according to the city's 2011 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The city's unemployment rate is currently at 3.7%. The city has a population of 2,856. The unemployment rate for Laguna Niguel is currently 3.8%. The City's unemployment rates for the past three years are: 3.9%. The rate for the last three years is 3.6%. The top employers are:  Chevron,  Exxon- Mobil, and Chevron. The top jobs within the city have been in the service industry for the past five years. The highest unemployment rate in the last five years has been 3.5%. The highest rate for this year is 3%. The average income is $60,000. The average household income is about $50,000; the average household size is about 2.2%. The lowest unemployment rate has been 2.4 percent. The lowest rate is 2.3 percent. the highest rate is 1.7 percent; the lowest rate for any city in Orange County. The most jobs in the past year were in the food service industry.

Education

The city is served by the Capistrano Unified School District. The city is home to the Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts (K-8) and the Laguna Niguel Elementary School. The City is also home to Saddleback College and Soka University of America. The town is also the home of the St. Anne School and the California State University, Fullerton. It is the site of the California National Guard's Camp Pendleton, which is located in the town of San Juan Bautista, in the San Diego County foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. It also hosts the California Institute of Technology, SCIT (in Anaheim) and Pepperdine University (in Irvine) The city also has a number of private schools, including Moulton Elementary School and Crown Valley Elementary School, as well as a private high school, Dana Point High School. It has a population of 2.2 million people, making it one of the largest cities in Orange County, along with San Diego and Los Angeles. The population of Orange County is 2.3 million, and it is the largest city in the South Coast region of the state, with Orange County having the second-largest population in the state. The community has a high school population of 1.4 million, with Dana Point and Aliso Viejo making up the majority of the city's high schools. The majority of its high schools are located in Dana Point, with the exception of Aliso Niguel High School, where the population is 1.7 million.

Infrastructure

Laguna Niguel is located in Orange County, California. There are no hospitals in the city proper, but nearby hospitals include Mission Hospital, Saddleback Memorial Hospital and South Coast Medical Center. Water is provided by the Moulton Niguel Water District, which is supplied by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project. Gas is supply by San Diego Gas & Electric and The Gas Company. Waste management is providedby CR&R (Solag Disposal). The city is served by the Orange County Fire Authority and Care Ambulance Service. The Orange County Sheriff's Department provides the police services for the city. The city has a population of 2,000, with the majority of residents living in the central part of the town. The population of the city has grown from 1,000 to 3,000 in the past 50 years. It is the largest city in the state of California, with a population growth rate of 1.7% in the last 20 years. The town has an average life expectancy of 48.5 years, the highest of any city in California. It has a high school population of 1,800, the lowest of all California cities. The average age of a resident is 48 years old, the oldest of which is 51 years old. The highest rate of life expectancy is 59 years old; the lowest rate of death is 18 years old or older. The mayor of Laguna Nigel has been in office since 2000.

Transportation

Laguna Niguel is served by Interstate 5 on the northeastern border, and the State Route 73 toll road which runs along the northern border. Within the city, neighborhoods are connected by a network of four- to six-lane arterial roadways with timed intersections. The main thoroughfare is Crown Valley Parkway, linking the PCH in Dana Point to I-5 in Mission Viejo. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) operates the 85, 87, 187 and 490 bus routes. The 490 bus line provides connecting service to the Metrolink train station. There are about 60 miles (97 km) of bike lanes in the city. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner served the city from 2007 to 2012, but has since ceased to stop here. Amtrak continues to serve the nearby Irvine and San Juan Capistrano stations. The city has a large public park system, including several dedicated bikeways which link the city's public parks to each other and to the rest of the country. There is also an extensive public library system, with more than 1,000 books and magazines available to the public. It is home to the Orange County Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1875. The museum is located on the former site of the San Diego County Fairgrounds, which is now part of the National Register of Historic Places. It was also the home of the California State Fair, which opened in 1883. The California State Museum of Nature and Science was established in 1881.

Parks and open space

Laguna Niguel is known throughout Orange County for its extensive park and trail system. Over one-third of the city is public open space, a legacy of the original 1959 Gruen plan. Crown Valley Park, visited by about 240,000 people per year, has the city's main public sports facilities. The interconnected city and regional park systems provide a significant refuge for wildlife in an area of Orange County otherwise filled with suburban sprawl. There are about 80 miles (130 km) of non-motorized trails in the city for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The paved Salt Creek Trail, a popular Class I bikeway, follows Salt Creek and Niguel Road from Dana Point to Laguna Nigel Regional Park. The Aliso Creek Trail is also known as the "Forest to the Sea Trail", as it is planned to connect the Santa Ana Mountains in the Cleveland National Forest to the Pacific Ocean at Laguna Beach. The Laguna Ridge Trail passes through Badlands County Park, which exposes the namesake geological formations, and approaches the summit of Niguel Hill, the highest point in the City. The larger Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Crystal Cove State Park outside the city limits are part of the larger South Coast Wilderness, 22,000 acres (8,900 ha) of preserved open space in the San Joaquin Hills that also includes the larger laguna Coast State Park. Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park consists of over 4,000acre (1,600ha) of canyons, grasslands and riparian forests along Aliso creek.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California = 4.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 66. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Laguna Niguel = 5.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 64,355 individuals with a median age of 39.7 age the population grows by 4.64% in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,400 residents per square mile of area (1,700/km²). There are average 2.72 people per household in the 23,683 households with an average household income of $100,995 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.50% of the available work force and has dropped -5.07% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.36%. The number of physicians in Laguna Niguel per 100,000 population = 253.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Laguna Niguel = 12.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 35. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 273. 76 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 43 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 54, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California which are owned by the occupant = 71.76%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 22 years with median home cost = $492,230 and home appreciation of -5.29%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.36 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,918 per student. There are 23.5 students for each teacher in the school, 7166 students for each Librarian and 1414 students for each Counselor. 9.54% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 31.16% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 16.17% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).