Laguna Beach Unified, CA

Original Research by School Decision on Laguna Beach Unified

Laguna Beach Unified serves a small district across kindergarten through grade twelve, with schools concentrated in a coastal community in Orange County. The district's four schools serve a combined enrollment drawn largely from Laguna Beach itself, with some students from neighboring areas including Irvine, Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Woods.

The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful share identifying as multiracial or Hispanic. Asian students comprise a smaller but present portion of enrollment. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available for this district, and specific counts for English learners and students with IEPs were also not reported.

On California's standardized assessments in 2024-25, Laguna Beach's overall proficiency sits in the top quartile among Orange County's districts when looking across all tested subjects and grades. In English language arts, students across grades three through eight demonstrate solid proficiency across the range, with fourth-grade performance above three-quarters proficient. Mathematics proficiency varies by grade level, with third-graders performing strongest and fifth-graders showing a measurable dip. Science assessment results, available for grades five and eight, fall below proficiency rates in ELA and math; fifth-grade science proficiency is notably weaker than eighth-grade performance. These grade-level shifts in math and science may reflect typical skill-building difficulty or point to instructional areas a parent might want to explore with the school.

The district's chronic absenteeism rate sits above the county median, a data point worth noting if attendance patterns matter to your family.

Financially, Laguna Beach's per-pupil current spending lands in the upper range compared to other Orange County districts, reflecting the district's resource position.

The housing market in the district's service area is notably expensive. Median home values are very high, anchored by Laguna Beach itself, and rents are correspondingly elevated. For prospective families, housing affordability relative to income is a significant constraint in this market. Mortgage costs substantially exceed rent, and both are stretched relative to median household income in the region.

The district's four schools comprise two elementary buildings, one middle school, and one high school. No recent major strategic changes to district operations or programs were identified in publicly available sources. Graduation rate data was not available, so a parent seeking that metric should contact the district directly or visit the high school's profile separately.

Laguna Beach Unified serves families in an affluent, community-oriented area. Its academic performance, measured across available metrics, is genuinely strong relative to its county neighbors. The setting is small and self-contained, a characteristic that appeals to some families and may constrain program breadth compared to larger systems. The primary practical consideration for most prospective families will be the cost and scarcity of housing in the area rather than school quality or operations.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,386

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 12%

Black 1%

White 66%

Asian 5%

Two+ 15%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

65%

—

Gr 3

55%

81%

Gr 4

69%

83%

Gr 5

71%

79%

Gr 6

61%

77%

Gr 7

61%

81%

Gr 8

63%

82%

Gr 11

72%

—

Math

Gr ALL

54%

—

Gr 3

55%

88%

Gr 4

69%

78%

Gr 5

55%

70%

Gr 6

59%

74%

Gr 7

56%

79%

Gr 8

43%

85%

Gr 11

45%

—

Science

Gr ALL

44%

—

Gr 5

53%

65%

Gr 8

46%

76%

Gr 11

50%

—

Gr HS

50%

—

Gr UG_SEC

50%

—

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

El Morro Elementary

Laguna Beach High

Thurston Middle

Top of the World Elementary

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

82%

Grade 3

76%

Grade 4

67%

Grade 5

72%

Grade 6

75%

Grade 7

76%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

77%

Grade 3

81%

Grade 4

77%

Grade 5

74%

Grade 6

77%

Grade 7

78%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

62%

Grade 5

70%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

84%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$3.16M

Year-over-year change+3.6%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$469K to $5.7M

vs. state typical4.08x

vs. national typical8.59x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
92651	Laguna Beach	$3.1M	+3.3%	88.7%
92657	Newport Beach	$5.7M	+10.7%	6.8%
92656	Aliso Viejo	$1.0M	-0.5%	2.7%
92637	Laguna Woods	$469K	+0.6%	1.0%
92677	Laguna Niguel	$1.5M	+3.0%	0.6%
92603	Irvine	$2.4M	+5.8%	0.2%
92629	Dana Point	$1.8M	+4.4%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$5,529/mo

Year-over-year change+3.3%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$2,966 to $6,895/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
92651	Laguna Beach	$5,536	+3.4%	88.7%
92657	Newport Beach	$6,895	+2.2%	6.8%
92656	Aliso Viejo	$3,446	+3.9%	2.7%
92637	Laguna Woods	$2,966	+7.0%	1.0%
92677	Laguna Niguel	$3,235	+2.9%	0.6%
92603	Irvine	$3,789	+3.0%	0.2%
92629	Dana Point	$4,182	+2.3%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$15,965/mo

Home price / national median income37.8x

Annual rent / national median income79.2%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$10,436/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.