Long Beach, CA, known as 'The International City,' offers a vibrant blend of coastal beauty and urban amenities. Located in southern California, Long Beach is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Los Angeles and Anaheim enhance its status as a central point in the region. Long Beach's blend of scenic beaches, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
Long Beach is home to several iconic landmarks, including the RMS Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the historic Pike Outlets. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Bluff Park to the bustling Belmont Shore district, known for its local shops and restaurants. Long Beach's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from fresh seafood to international cuisine.
Annual events such as the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Long Beach Jazz Festival highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Long Beach's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like California State University, Long Beach contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in Long Beach is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of Latin American Art are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Long Beach provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
Long Beach’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Long Beach State 49ers (NCAA) and the Long Beach Armada (GWL), providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Long Beach include shipping, healthcare, and education, with significant employers such as the Port of Long Beach and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and light rail, making commuting convenient for residents.
Amenities
Within the vicinity, you'll find a wealth of amenities, from restaurants and coffee shops to grocery stores and local shops, all easily accessible on foot.
Commute
High scores in the commute category could indicate that this area offers short commute times to work and readily available public transportation options.
Employment
This area scores extremely well in the employment category. This is primarily due to the combination of low unemployment rates, higher median home income and income per capita.
Cost Of Living
Residents of this area contend with a high cost of living, resulting in increased expenditures for everyday goods and services, housing, utilities and health care.
Crime
High crime rates per 100,000 people are reported in this area, potentially indicating that it is an unsafe place to live. These statistics consider both violent and property offenses.
Ratings
Polls and surveys done by AreaVibes among area residents did not yield positive feedback when it came to the walkability of amenities, safety, nearby parks and the overall sense of community.
Long Beach is a highly populated city located in the state of California. The city has a population of 480,084 people. With a population density of 9,544 people per square mile, Long Beach is well above the nation's average density level. More than a quarter of the residents of Long Beach identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and 34% of the population speak Spanish as their primary or secondary language. Long Beach is very likely to be a great place to live for singles as only 44%, of the population (over fifteen) are classified as married. Long, unnecessary commutes can be both frustrating and inconvenient when heading to work. Nationwide, the average one-way commute time takes 26 minutes, but regrettably, residing in Long Beach entails a longer-than-average one-way commute time, averaging 31 minutes.
Whether you’re relocating to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Long Beach could be a positive experience compared to other cities in California if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Using the livability score which includes data from categories like amenities, cost of living, health & safety, employment, housing, you can easily compare the best places to live in Long Beach and also determine if there are any nearby cities that might be a better match for your lifestyle. You can also compare Long Beach to California and the national average.
Long Beach has a livability score of 69 out of 100 and is ranked #258 in California and #7,930 in the USA. If we explore each of the categories individually, we see that Long Beach ranks well for employment (B+). There are some categories that Long Beach does not rank well for, including: crime (F) and cost of living (F). It might be worth taking a closer look to find out why.
If you're considering living in Long Beach, it comes with numerous advantages, particularly in the form of an extensive selection of local amenities. These amenities play a pivotal role in elevating the quality of life within this vibrant community. From easily accessible grocery stores, to conveniently located fitness facilities, a diverse range of dining establishments and a multitude of shopping options, Long Beach provides a comprehensive array of resources for its residents. This ensures the effortless fulfillment of your daily needs and creates ample opportunities for relaxation and recreation. The convenience of these local offerings greatly contributes to the overall appeal of the area, making it an enticing destination for those in search of convenience, diversity, and a gratifying lifestyle. If you're contemplating a move, the abundance of local amenities could very well be a defining characteristic of this area. Among the enticing options for fun and exploration in Long Beach are: Aquarium of the Pacific, The Queen Mary, and Long Beach Airport.
Assuming that Long Beach meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Long Beach. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Long Beach are simply unattainable. Median real estate prices in Long Beach come in at $1,039,015, which is 42% higher than the California average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Long Beach, the home price to income ratio is 10.5, which is 36.4% higher than the California average.
Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Statistic | Long Beach | California | National |
| Average one way commute | 31min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 73.1% | 73.5% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 9.0% | 10.6% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.7% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 7.7% | 5.4% | 4.6% |
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