Laguna Beach vs Newport Beach

Laguna Beach and Newport Beach share a county, a coastline and Pacific Coast Highway. They differ in size, shoreline, school districts, rental rules and the way each city is run. This page lists the published facts and leaves the weighing to you. Home prices are left out on purpose: see the cost of living guide for what Laguna Beach costs and the county tax rules.

The numbers side by side

	Laguna Beach	Newport Beach
Residents, July 2025 estimate	22,391	81,977
Land area, 2020 Census	8.89 sq mi	23.79 sq mi
Water area, 2020 Census	0.97 sq mi	29.13 sq mi
Shoreline, in each city’s own words	7.5 miles of coastline	More than 8 miles of beaches
State marine protected areas named for the city	Reserve and no-take area, 9.8 sq mi together	Upper Newport Bay conservation area, 1.24 sq mi
Public school district	Laguna Beach USD	Newport-Mesa USD
County	Orange	Orange
Government	Council-manager, five members elected at large	Council-manager, seven members elected by district, voted on citywide
August average high, NOAA station in each city	81.2 F (Laguna Beach station)	73.3 F (Newport Beach Harbor station)
Road miles to John Wayne Airport (OSRM)	13.5 miles	5.0 miles
Road miles to Los Angeles City Hall (OSRM)	50.3 miles	44.8 miles

Population and land figures come from the Census Bureau. The city’s own About page gives Laguna Beach 8.84 square miles; the table uses the Census land figure so both cities are measured the same way. Road miles come from the OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap data, measured from each City Hall, and are not official figures.

Land, water and setting

Newport Beach has about 2.7 times the land and 3.7 times the people. The Census also counts 29.13 square miles of water in Newport Beach, against 0.97 in Laguna Beach. Divide residents by land and the Census figures give about 2,500 people per square mile in Laguna Beach and about 3,400 in Newport Beach. Those are calculations from the two Census files above, not a published rate.

Shoreline and protected water

Laguna Beach’s Marine Safety department describes seven and a half miles of coastline. Newport Beach describes more than eight miles of beaches between the Santa Ana River jetty and Crystal Cove State Park, and the same city page also cites more than six miles of ocean beaches. Each figure is that city’s own measure and they count different things, so do not subtract one from the other.

The state protects water off both cities, under different rules. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve (6.72 square miles) and the Laguna Beach State Marine Conservation Area (3.09 square miles). Taking any living, geological or cultural marine resource is unlawful in both, though in the no-take conservation area the state notes that take incidental to certain permitted activities may be allowed. Inside Newport Bay the department lists the Upper Newport Bay conservation area, a wetland beside the county’s nature preserve at 2301 University Drive in Newport Beach. There, recreational hook-and-line fishing for finfish is allowed from shore only, and shoreline access is limited to established trails and designated areas. Between the two cities, off Crystal Cove State Park, the Crystal Cove conservation area allows recreational take of finfish by hook-and-line or spearfishing and of spiny lobster and sea urchin, and prohibits take from tidepools.

Schools and property tax

The City of Newport Beach says the Newport Mesa Unified School District is responsible for all public schools within city limits. Laguna Beach Unified serves transitional kindergarten through grade 12 with two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. The district publishes a boundaries map and a street list, so check an address there. See the schools guide for school names and addresses. This site does not rate or rank schools.

Both cities are in Orange County, so the same county offices assess and bill property. Under Proposition 13 the tax is based on 1 percent of the purchase price. The county’s Treasurer-Tax Collector says bills can run higher because of special assessments in the parcel’s taxing district. Each year the county Auditor-Controller calculates the rates for voter-approved debt and the Board of Supervisors adopts them; each school district or agency with such debt levies its own. You can pull up a parcel’s current bill by parcel number at taxbill.octreasurer.gov before you commit to a property.

Short-term rentals

Both cities require permits for short-term rentals and cap how many can operate.

• Laguna Beach: the city no longer allows short-term lodging in its R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts. Existing permitted units may continue, and the use runs with the land. Read the short-term rentals guide before you rely on any address.
• Newport Beach: short-term lodging, defined as 30 consecutive days or less, needs a business license and a city permit. The city’s FAQ names R-1.5, R-2 and RM zones, a cap of 1,550 active permits, and no new permits until active permits drop below the cap. The city also runs a waitlist.

Weather

NOAA publishes 1991–2020 normals by weather station, and each city has one inside its limits. The Laguna Beach station shows an August average high of 81.2 F, a January average low of 44.2 F and 12.68 inches of rain in a year. The Newport Beach Harbor station shows 73.3 F, 50.4 F and 9.43 inches. A gap that size reflects where each station stands as well as the two cities, so treat it as a rough guide.

Getting around

Laguna Beach operates a free Coastal Route trolley along Coast Highway and Laguna Local, a free on-demand shared ride between neighborhoods and activity centers. Newport Beach runs the free Balboa Peninsula Trolley, which in 2026 ran weekends from May 23 to September 7 plus summer holidays, with 22 marked stops. For roads and parking, see the getting around guide.

Government and signature events

Both cities use a council-manager form of government. Laguna Beach has five council members elected at large; Newport Beach has seven, each tied to a district and voted on by the whole city, and the council chooses one of its members as mayor each year.

The Festival of Arts lists its 2027 Fine Art Show for June 28 to August 27 and the Pageant of the Masters for June 30 to August 28. Newport Beach’s 118th Christmas Boat Parade, hosted by the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, is listed for December 16 to 20, 2026, with free public viewing at Marina Park.

How to choose

Answer these for yourself before comparing anything else:

1. Where does the commute end, and how many miles of road sit between that door and each city?
2. How often will you use the beach, and does the kind of shoreline above match what you plan to do there?
3. Which school district’s boundary does the specific address fall in? Ask the district, not a listing.
4. Do you plan to rent the home short term, and does the address allow it?
5. Do you prefer a small council elected citywide or a larger one tied to districts?
6. Which months will you spend in town, and what do the event calendars look like then?

When you are ready to see streets, start with the neighborhoods guide and the moving guide.

The same comparison for other nearby cities: Laguna Beach vs Dana Point, San Clemente, Huntington Beach, Laguna Niguel and La Jolla.