Laguna Woods is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 16,192 at the 2010 census, down from 16,507 at the 2000 census with a median age of 78. About ninety percent of the city consists of Laguna Woods Village, a private gated retirement community, formerly known as Leisure World. The other ten percent consists of businesses and the city hall, which are available to the public. Incorporation efforts in the late 1990s were largely driven by the need for residents to have a stronger voice against the prospective construction of an international airport at the nearby decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. The airport proposal was defeated and the land in question has been tabbed for development as the Orange County Great Park.
At the 2010 census Laguna Woods had a population of 16,192. The population density was 5,196.9 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Laguna Woods was 14,133 White, 110 African American, 24 Native American, 1,624 Asian, 10 Pacific Islander, 90 from other races, and 201 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 650 people. The census reported that 16,025 people lived in households, 167 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. There were 11,302 households, 36 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,278 were married couples living together, 482 had a female householder with no husband present, 113 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 194 unmarried couples or partnerships, and 54 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,924 households were one person and 6,097 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.42. There were 3,873 families ; the average family size was 2.07. The age distribution was 48 people under the age of 18, 56 people aged 18 to 24, 266 people aged 25 to 44, 2,948 people aged 45 to 64, and 12,874 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 77.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 55.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 55.0 males. There were 13,016 housing units at an average density of 4,177.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 8,730 were owner-occupied and 2,572 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.2%. 12,456 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,569 people lived in rental housing units. According to the 2010 United States Census, Laguna Woods had a median household income of $36,818, with 9.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
At the 2000 census there were 16,507 people in 11,699 households, including 3,989 families, in the city. The population density was 5,158.4 inhabitants per square mile. There were 12,650 housing units at an average density of 3,953.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 96.12% White, 0.25% Black, 0.12% American Indian, 2.50% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.06%. Of the 11,699 households 0.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were married couples living together, 2.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 65.9% were non-families. 62.2% of households were one person and 57.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.40 and the average family size was 2.06. The age distribution was 0.6% under the age of 18, 0.2% from 18 to 24, 2.2% from 25 to 44, 10.6% from 45 to 64, and 86.4% 65 or older. The median age was 78 years. For every 100 females, there were 51.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 51.6 males. The median household income was $30,493 and the median family income was $46,889. Males had a median income of $56,563 versus $35,188 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,071. About 2.6% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
