Laguna Beach, California

Laguna Beach redirects here. For other uses, see Laguna Beach (disambiguation).

Laguna Beach is a city located in southern Orange County, California, approximately 24 miles southeast of downtown Santa Ana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 23,727. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Laguna Beach and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA.” The city of Laguna Beach is the setting of MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County reality show. Though the show puts Laguna Beach on the map many of the city's people feel the show misrepresents their community, and contributes to the sterotype of Laguna being rich, white, and "stuck-up".

The city's most famous institution is the Festival of the Arts, an annual art exhibition in the summer which has given the city a reputation for being "artsy." Apart from bringing together artists and art collectors, the Festival is also famous for the Pageant of the Masters, an annual living statue show where local volunteers reproduce several dozen famous artworks in an evening (with the help of elaborate costumes and makeup). The Pageant is apparently the only show of its type and scale in western North America.

Because of occasional financial problems, the Festival has occasionally considered licensing the Pageant concept to other cities, but each time has ultimately refused. Licensing the Pageant would decrease the uniqueness of Laguna Beach and thus its attractiveness to tourists.

Geography

Laguna Beach is located at 33°31'53" North, 117°46'9" West (33.531525, -117.769043)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.2 km² (9.7 mi²). 22.9 km² (8.9 mi²) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 9.24% water.

On June 1st, 2005 Laguna Beach suffered a landslide due to the heavy rains incurred during the winter storms that hit Southern California.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 23,727 people, 11,511 households, and 5,778 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,035.1/km² (2,681.5/mi²). There are 12,965 housing units at an average density of 565.6/km² (1,465.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 6.62% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 11,511 households out of which 18.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% are married couples living together, 6.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 49.8% are non-families. 36.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.05 and the average family size is 2.69.

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 104.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $75,808, and the median income for a family is $100,778. Males have a median income of $66,221 versus $46,138 for females. The per capita income for the city is $58,732. 5.1% of the population and 2.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 4.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Government & 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.

The entire city of Laguna Beach lies within California's 48th congressional district. The district was formerly represented by Republican Congressman Christopher Cox of Newport Beach, Cox was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He resigned from his congressional seat on August 2, 2005 to fullfill his duties at the SEC. The seat will remain vacant until a special election is called by the governor.

Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider serves as Laguna Beach's mayor and Steve Dicterow as Mayor Pro Tem. The three city council members are Jane Egly, Toni Iseman, and Cheryl Kinsman.

External links

• City of Laguna Beach official website
• Location Orange County
• Orange County Business Council (Chamber of Commerce)
• Orange County ArtSource (Links to the Arts in Orange County)
• Orange County Transportation Authority
• Congressman Christopher Cox
• Laguna Beach Restaurant Guide

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