Laguna Hills, California
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Laguna Hills is a city located in southern Orange County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 31,178. It is home to the upscale Nellie Gail Ranch residential community.
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Geography
Laguna Hills is located at 33°35'59" North, 117°41'58" West (33.599590, -117.699569)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.5 km² (6.4 mi²). 16.4 km² (6.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.47% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 31,178 people, 10,895 households, and 7,942 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,895.7/km² (4,911.1/mi²). There are 11,303 housing units at an average density of 687.3/km² (1,780.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 76.83% White, 1.38% African American, 0.44% Native American, 10.20% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 7.19% from other races, and 3.81% from two or more races. 16.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 10,895 households out of which 37.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% are married couples living together, 8.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% are non-families. 21.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.82 and the average family size is 3.29.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $70,234, and the median income for a family is $81,334. Males have a median income of $59,144 versus $38,761 for females. The per capita income for the city is $36,133. 5.0% of the population and 3.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.3% of those under the age of 18 and 5.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Nellie Gail Ranch
While Newport Beach is considered the "Beverly Hills of Orange County," the Nellie Gail Ranch may be considered the "Bel Air of Orange County." The ranch sits on a promontory within the city and is a contrast to the higher density neighborhoods that surround it. It is one of the better-known upscale communities in the state and is not gated. Nellie Gail is a Planned Unit Development of 1355 lots on 1350 acres (5.5 km²) and consists of a mixture of tract and custom houses in an equestrian setting, with homes ranging from 1,700 to more than 10,000 square feet (160 to 930 m²).
The community includes several large parks, miles of equestrian trails and arenas, as well as substantial open space with acres of trees.
Nellie Gail's reputation as an upscale California community is softened by its equestrian setting and residential focus, unlike that of the Beverly Hills or Newport Beach. The community also shuns what it perceives as the flashy, commercial "nouveau riche" reputation of other wealthy communities in the area.
The OC Weekly frequently pokes fun at Nellie Gail and Laguna Hills. Its October 19, 2001 issue gave Laguna Hills a tongue-in-cheek "Best of OC" award:
- [Laguna Hills has] the tony distinction of having crosswalk buttons set high so ultra-rich Nellie Gail Ranch residents can reach them while on horseback.
The Nellie Gail Ranch has also been mentioned in movies such as "Wild Things" (1998) and even newspaper comics like Bil Keane's "The Family Circus." Such references usually make fun of the wealth of the Ranch's inhabitants.
External links
- City of Laguna Hills official website (http://ci.laguna-hills.ca.us/)