Laguna Beach vs San Clemente: A Home Buyer's Comparison
Laguna Beach and San Clemente are both beach towns with their own downtowns, but they sit at very different price levels. In the 12 months to October 30, 2026, homes in Laguna Beach sold for a median $3,192,500 against $1,797,000 in San Clemente, about 78 percent more, and by the square foot Laguna cost nearly twice as much: $1,588 against $810. San Clemente is the larger and faster market, with 630 sales in those 12 months against 318 in Laguna Beach, and its homes went under contract in a median 14 days against 35. If you want coves, an arts town and a hillside home above the water, and you can wait for the right one, Laguna Beach is the market to study. If you want a beach town where your budget buys more house and more homes come up for sale, San Clemente gives you more to work with.
The two cities sit about 14 miles apart by road, along Pacific Coast Highway through Dana Point and then Interstate 5 or El Camino Real. Laguna Beach has about 23,000 residents on 8.9 square miles, ZIP code 92651, and its own school district, Laguna Beach Unified. San Clemente has about 64,000 residents on 18.4 square miles in ZIP codes 92672 and 92673, served by the Capistrano Unified School District. Sale figures below are CRMLS closings for the 12 months to October 30, 2026, and homes for sale are counted on that date. Check the live Laguna Beach real estate and San Clemente real estate pages for current numbers.
Laguna Beach
| Metric | Laguna Beach | San Clemente |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $3,192,500 | $1,797,000 |
| Change on the year before | Up 9.9 percent | Up 4.8 percent |
| Single-family median | $3,350,000 (259 sales) | $1,989,000 (449 sales) |
| Condo and townhome median | $1,518,750 (42 sales) | $1,099,000 (147 sales) |
| Median price per square foot | $1,588 | $810 |
| Median days to contract | 35 | 14 |
| Sale price to original list | 94.7 percent | 98.2 percent |
| Buyers paying cash | 48 percent | 37 percent |
| Homes for sale (Oct 30, 2026) | 179 (148 active, 5.6 months of supply) | 173 (127 active, 2.4 months of supply) |
| ZIP codes | 92651 | 92672, 92673 |
| School district | Laguna Beach Unified | Capistrano Unified |
| Best known for | Coves and tide pools, the arts colony, Main Beach and the village | The pier, Avenida Del Mar, the Spanish Village by the Sea and its surf breaks |
Price and market positioning
Laguna Beach costs more at every level. Single-family homes sold for a median $3,350,000 there and $1,989,000 in San Clemente, and condos and townhomes for $1,518,750 against $1,099,000. The gap is widest by the square foot, because Laguna’s homes have less living space on average and much of their price sits in the land, the view and the walk to the water. Its housing is also older: half of it was built before 1964, against 1983 in San Clemente.
The pace tells you how each market negotiates. San Clemente homes went under contract in a median 14 days and sold at 98.2 percent of their original list price; Laguna Beach homes took 35 days and sold at 94.7 percent. Laguna also had 5.6 months of supply on October 30, 2026 against 2.4 in San Clemente. In Laguna Beach a buyer usually has time to look, and sellers more often cut the price; in San Clemente the well-priced homes move within weeks.
Homes and neighborhoods
Laguna Beach runs along about seven miles of coast, from Crystal Cove State Park at its northern edge to Three Arch Bay in the south. North Laguna, the village blocks around Main Beach and Woods Cove mix cottages and rebuilt homes near the sand; Top of the World, Arch Beach Heights and Mystic Hills climb the ridge with ocean views; and the area’s three guard-gated beach communities, Emerald Bay, Irvine Cove and Three Arch Bay, each have a private beach for homeowners. Our Laguna Beach neighborhoods guide covers each one, and Laguna Beach condos lists the attached homes.
San Clemente spreads across a larger area and a wider range of homes. Southwest San Clemente holds many of the most sought-after coastal streets and the gated communities of Cyprus Shore, Cyprus Cove and Cotton’s Point Estates; the Pier Bowl and the blocks around Avenida Del Mar put condos and older homes a walk from the beach; and Talega and Forster Ranch fill the inland hills with master-planned homes built since the 1980s, while Sea Summit at Marblehead adds newer homes on the coastal bluff. Browse every community in the San Clemente homes for sale search.
Newest Homes for Sale in Laguna Beach and San Clemente
The six newest listings in each, updated from the MLS every 5 minutes.
Laguna Beach
San Clemente
Beaches, downtowns and daily life
Both towns are built around the beach. Laguna Beach has some 30 beaches and coves along its shore, galleries and restaurants along Coast Highway and in the village, and the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and Laguna Canyon on its inland side. San Clemente centers on its pier and Avenida Del Mar, with a beach trail along the shore and surf breaks known well beyond Orange County, including T-Street and, just south of the city, Trestles. Interstate 5 runs through San Clemente, while Laguna Beach is reached by Laguna Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway, which shapes commute times in both directions.
Who each market suits
Choose Laguna Beach if you want a particular setting, a cove, a view or a walk to the village, and you are willing to pay for it and wait for the right home. Its slower market gives you time to compare. Choose San Clemente if you want a beach town with more homes for the money, newer houses in the hill communities, and quick access to Interstate 5; be ready to act, because homes there go under contract in about two weeks. Set a saved search on the Laguna Beach homes for sale page or the San Clemente search and new listings that match it arrive in a daily email.
If you own in either city and want to know what your home is worth, request a free home valuation. Realatrends Real Estate has sold homes on the Orange County coast from its Laguna Beach office since 1983, with more than 700 sales and $1B+ closed. For the year-by-year record, see the Laguna Beach housing market and San Clemente housing market pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Laguna Beach or San Clemente more expensive?
Laguna Beach. In the 12 months to October 30, 2026, homes there sold for a median $3,192,500 against $1,797,000 in San Clemente, and per square foot the figures were $1,588 and $810.
Which has more homes for sale, Laguna Beach or San Clemente?
On October 30, 2026 the two were close: 179 homes listed in Laguna Beach (148 active) and 173 in San Clemente (127 active). San Clemente sells about twice as many homes a year, 630 against 318 in the 12 months to that date, so its listings turn over faster.
How fast do homes sell in Laguna Beach and San Clemente?
In the 12 months to October 30, 2026, San Clemente homes went under contract in a median 14 days and Laguna Beach homes in 35. San Clemente sellers received 98.2 percent of their original list price at the median and Laguna Beach sellers 94.7 percent.
Are Laguna Beach and San Clemente in the same school district?
No. Laguna Beach has its own district, Laguna Beach Unified, and San Clemente is in the Capistrano Unified School District. Confirm the assigned schools for any address with the district.
How far apart are Laguna Beach and San Clemente?
About 14 miles by road, along Pacific Coast Highway through Dana Point and then Interstate 5 or El Camino Real.
Compare more Orange County markets
- Laguna Beach vs Dana Point
- Laguna Beach vs Laguna Niguel
- Laguna Beach vs Newport Beach
- Laguna Beach vs Corona del Mar
- San Clemente vs Dana Point
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