Lancaster vs Long Beach
Lancaster, California versus Long Beach, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Long Beach edges out Lancaster on overall objective livability (43 vs 39 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lancaster | Long Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $71k | $79k |
| Cost of Living | $66k | $66k |
| Home Value | $369k | $710k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.92% | 0.65% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.99% | 22.05% |
| Unemployment | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 45°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 7.9 in | 12.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 328 days | 277 days |
| Summer Humidity | 42°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 61 days | 325 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 74.3 | 70.3 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 60.1 | 73.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1780/100k | 1531/100k |
| Property Crime | 1876/100k | 2621/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 171,465 | 462,293 |
| Median Age | 33.6 | 36.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.73 | 0.73 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.01 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+45 | D+45 |
| White (%) | 25.7% | 27.2% |
| Black (%) | 20.7% | 11.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 45.3% | 44.1% |
| Asian (%) | 4.0% | 12.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 31 min | 30 min |
| Walkability | 10.2/20 | 10.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 55 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.8% | 90.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.53 | 19.60 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lancaster or Long Beach more affordable?
- Long Beach has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Lancaster's $66k and Long Beach's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Lancaster versus $2k in Long Beach.
- Is Lancaster or Long Beach safer?
- Long Beach has the lower violent crime rate. Lancaster reports 1780/100k and Long Beach reports 1531/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lancaster or Long Beach?
- The median home value is $369k in Lancaster and $710k in Long Beach, so homes are more affordable in Lancaster.