Dana Point, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dana Point, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A
Income Above average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Dana Point | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,882 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3684.6 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.97% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.3 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,713 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dana Point declined by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,882 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dana Point is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 25.6% of residents. That is 5.8 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,181 16.8% -4.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,457 17.9% -5.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,374 25.6% +5.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,603 22.5% +7.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.0% of the people living in Dana Point and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% California 49.9%
- Men 49.0% California 50.1%
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Economy
Dana Point has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Dana Point | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $135,135 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.22% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dana Point is about 36% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Dana Point | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,953,084 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $3,068 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.3% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dana Point is about 53.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $3,068 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dana Point spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 214 hours, about 8.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dana Point | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.7 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.4 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 214 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,634 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 29.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 48,540 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,282 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Dana Point is 26 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Dana Point has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Dana Point | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Dana Point has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Dana Point | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 85.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.9% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Dana Point, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Dana Point, CA is the 4th largest of the 5 cities compared here, 24,882 residents against a local median of 49,664. Where Dana Point, CA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 27% above the local median of $1,531,942 at $1,953,084.
The cities themselves spread $912,529 on median home price, so Dana Point, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dana Point, CA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Point, CA | 24,882 | $135,135 #4/5 | $1,953,084 #2/5 | 25.7 min #4/5 |
| San Juan Capistrano, CA | 39,814 | $130,645 | $1,129,198 | 22.2 min |
| Laguna Niguel, CA | 61,524 | $141,440 | $1,579,109 | 22.6 min |
| San Clemente, CA | 59,513 | $141,974 | $1,484,775 | 26.4 min |
| Ladera Ranch, CA | 20,159 | $199,876 | $2,041,728 | 23.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dana Point, California.
How big is Dana Point, California by population?
About 24,882 people live in Dana Point, California, in 10,713 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 48.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Dana Point, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dana Point, California has 3,685 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 43 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Dana Point, California?
The median home costs 14.5 times the median household income ($1,953,084 against $135,135), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $3,068 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Dana Point, California?
Unemployment in Dana Point, California is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Dana Point, California have a college degree?
50.9% of adults in Dana Point, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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