Cost of living in Dana Point research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Dana Point is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Dana Point is 205, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Dana Point is 2.0x higher than the national average.
Dana Point ranks as the #538 cheapest in California out of 634.
Dana Point ranks as the #6,338 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Dana Point is $1,653,005.
The median income in Dana Point is $127,246.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dana Point has an overall cost of living index of 205, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Dana Point has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Dana Point ranks as #538 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Dana Point ranks as the #96 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Dana Point, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dana Point. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Dana Point is 111.
The Groceries index in Dana Point is 113.
The Health index in Dana Point is 101.
The Housing index in Dana Point is 418.
The Transportation index in Dana Point is 126.
The Utilities index in Dana Point is 95.
| Living Expense | Dana Point | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 205 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 111 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 101 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 418 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Dana Point is $1,653,005.
The Median Rent in Dana Point is $2,883.
The Median Income in Dana Point is $127,246.
The Home Value To Income in Dana Point is 13.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Dana Point is 0.27x.
| Statistic | Dana Point | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,653,005 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,883 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $127,246 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 13.0x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Dana Point | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.34 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.04 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.11 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.27 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.78 | $45.56 |
| Item | Dana Point | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.89 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.49 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.92 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.92 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.31 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.26 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.61 | $3.7 |
| Item | Dana Point | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Dana Point | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Dana Point | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dana Point. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Irvine, CA has a cost of living index of 198, 1.0x Dana Point.
Mission Viejo, CA has a cost of living index of 184, 0.9x Dana Point.
Lake Forest, CA has a cost of living index of 175, 0.9x Dana Point.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Dana Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine, CA | 308,160 | 198 | 1.0x |
| Mission Viejo, CA | 92,415 | 184 | 0.9x |
| Lake Forest, CA | 85,846 | 175 | 0.9x |
| Tustin, CA | 79,035 | 176 | 0.9x |
| Laguna Niguel, CA | 64,023 | 197 | 1.0x |
| San Clemente, CA | 63,510 | 203 | 1.0x |
| Aliso Viejo, CA | 51,320 | 174 | 0.8x |
| Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 47,257 | 176 | 0.9x |
| San Juan Capistrano, CA | 34,998 | 183 | 0.9x |
| Laguna Hills, CA | 30,921 | 184 | 0.9x |