Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Dana Point grades B+ overall, ranked 73rd of 841 in California. Its schools outperform 88% of the state's and it is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $1.8 million for a typical one and 18.5 times the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income. Dana Point’s median rent is $3,106 a month, above both the California town median ($1,895 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Dana Point is more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns. VIRGINIA (sloop) is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Dana Point beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Dana Point is from typical.
Its grades run from A for health (better than 88% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 1%), so the B+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,186 in 1960, 33,107 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2026 and 3 maps from 1948 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dana Point. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw38 mi MuseumUSS Iowa
Big draw31 mi Theme parkKnott's Berry Farm4.5M visitors a year
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaAngel Stadium of Anaheim
Big draw26 mi Theme parkDisney California Adventure10.1M visitors a year
25 mi Stadium & arenaHonda CenterDisneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · USS Iowa: PH1 Jeff Hilton, Public domain · Knott's Berry Farm: Phydend at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Angel Stadium of Anaheim: Staff Sgt. Chad McMeen, Public domain · Disney California Adventure: CrispyCream27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Honda Center: Arnold C (Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dana Point, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Dana Point.
Dana Point fares better on crime within California than nationally and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
At 18.5 years of the Los Angeles metro’s $96K median household income, the typical home (about $1.77M) costs more against local pay than in 96% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Home values rose 45% in five years, to about $1.77M, against 13% across California.
Typical home values rose 6.8% in the year to September 2026. 62% of Dana Point households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.77M.
Its public schools are run by the Capistrano Unified school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Dana Hills High, with 1,725 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Henry Dana ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 461 | – |
| Dana Hills HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,725 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,438 U.S. towns with household incomes like Dana Point’s, it is healthier than 55%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
24% of adults have obesity in Dana Point. Dana Point beats the California average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 8% of adults smoke cigarettes in Dana Point.
| Dana Point | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 29% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8% | 11% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Dana Point | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
7.8 miles of trail in 18 parks and preserves. The trail density in Dana Point is 1.2 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Doheny State Beach, at 73 acres.
| Dana Point | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.7% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Salt Creek Beach Park | 0.9 mi | 21 |
| 2. Lantern Bay County Park | 0.9 mi | 13 |
| 3. Doheny State Beach | 0.7 mi | 73 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities. Since 1988, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dana Point.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 47.9°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 74.6°.
Dana Point has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Dana Point’s July high is 75°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Dana Point | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 75°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 48°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
31.7% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Dana Point for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Dana Point has added 1,151 jobs, to 9,938 in 2023. The top destinations are Irvine (11%), Los Angeles (6%) and San Clemente (6%).
| Dana Point | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 32% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $142,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 15.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 86% of California’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 55 reported in 2025, 1.7 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
7 within 15 miles of the center of Dana Point
About 7 of every 100 Dana Point residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
8 notable people were born in Dana Point.
City in California, United States
Dana Point ( DAY-nuh) is a coastal city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. With one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a popular local destination for surfing. The city was named after the headland of Dana Point, which was in turn named after Richard Henry Dana Jr., whose 1840 memoir Two Years Before the Mast included a description of the area. Dana described the locale, including neighboring San Juan Capistrano, as "the only romantic spot on the coast". This area is designated California Historical Landmark #189.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Dana Point.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Point | #73 | B+ | D− | B | A | A |
| Laguna Niguel | #69 | B+ | D− | B+ | A | A |
| San Clemente | #119 | B | D− | B− | A | A |
| San Juan Capistrano | #121 | B | D− | B− | A | A− |
| Laguna Beach | #86 | B+ | D− | C+ | A | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Dana Point grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #73 of 841 in California. It grades A for health, B for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
8 notable people were born here, including Melinda Clarke and Steve Hegg.
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