Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Laguna Woods, California
A $365,000 home here costs
$2,828per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,876. The real number is $951 higher every month — 51% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Laguna Woods against Orange County and California
| Measure | Laguna Woods | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $364,900 | $915,500 |
| Median property tax | $2,681 | $6,096 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.735% | 0.666% |
| Median gross rent | $2,232 | $2,352 |
| Population | 17,342 | 3,164,063 |
The weather behind that power bill
Laguna Woods sits in Orange County, which averages a high of 87.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.8°F in its coldest, with 14.12" of precipitation a year and 62% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,246 cooling and 1,287 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Orange County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Orange County
Full Orange County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Laguna Woods?
A $365,000 home in Laguna Woods, California costs approximately $2,828 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,876 principal and interest, $224 property tax, $57 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $304 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Laguna Woods?
Laguna Woods has an effective property tax rate of 0.735%, based on a median home value of $364,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,681. That is higher than the Orange County average of 0.666%.
What is the average home price in Laguna Woods?
The median owner-occupied home value in Laguna Woods, California is $364,900, against $915,500 across Orange County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Laguna Woods?
Median gross rent in Laguna Woods is $2,232 a month, against $2,828 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Laguna Woods — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.