6 census tracts · pop 28,261 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.3/10
· range 5.6–7.4
El Niguel Heights is a 6-tract neighborhood of Laguna Niguel, CA and houses 28,261 people. Scored across those inputs it reaches 6.3/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. 61% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, well clear of the Laguna Niguel rate of 34.5%.
34% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate. Pulling the other way is economic stress, at 1.8/10. The 6 tracts inside this boundary do not behave alike. Individual scores run 5.6 to 7.4, a 1.8-point gap wide enough that the area average misleads on any specific address.
On the high side is rent-regulation exposure at 8.2/10. Running hot is tenant-organizing strength at 7.1/10.
Food insecurity affects 8.6% of adults, 9.2 points below the national rate. 4.8% of adults carry no health insurance against 11.3% nationally, a common route into sudden unpayable debt. Average gross rent runs $2,899, close to the Laguna Niguel average.
Annual rent works out to 25% of average household income of $137,541. 32% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 1.8 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
6.3
Elevated
6 tracts · population-weighted
El Niguel Heights vs Laguna NiguelHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority52%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport31%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in El Niguel Heights
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
8.1%Housing insecurity
4.4%Utility shutoff threat
9.1%Food insecurity
7.7%SNAP enrollment
5.1%No health insurance
25.4%Any disability
Frequently asked
About El Niguel Heights
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for El Niguel Heights?
El Niguel Heights scores 6.3/10 (Elevated tier) across 6 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.
Q2
How does El Niguel Heights compare to Laguna Niguel overall?
El Niguel Heights scores 0.6 points lower than Laguna Niguel overall (6.9/10). Renters spend 61% of income on rent vs 35% citywide. Average rent: $2,899 vs $2,903.
Q3
What is the average rent in El Niguel Heights?
Average gross rent in El Niguel Heights is $2,899/month (pop-weighted across 6 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 61% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of El Niguel Heights residents are renters?
32% of El Niguel Heights households are renter-occupied (vs 33% in Laguna Niguel). The neighborhood has 28,261 residents.
Q5
Is El Niguel Heights a high social-vulnerability area?
El Niguel Heights sits in the 31st percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
Which tracts in El Niguel Heights have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in El Niguel Heights is census tract 06059042329 (score 7.4/10). Across the 6 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.6 to 7.4, a spread of 1.8 points.
Q7
How safe is El Niguel Heights for landlords?
El Niguel Heights carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.3/10). Pop-weighted across 6 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Laguna Niguel as a whole (6.9/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of El Niguel Heights?
El Niguel Heights has 27,735 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (66.6%), Hispanic / Latino (18.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (7.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
