Long Beach vs Los Angeles
Long Beach, California versus Los Angeles, 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 and Los Angeles score about the same overall (43 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Long Beach | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $76k |
| Cost of Living | $66k | $66k |
| Home Value | $710k | $823k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.65% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.05% | 23.35% |
| Unemployment | 6.6% | 7.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.0 in | 14.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 292 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 58°F |
| Comfortable Days | 325 days | 329 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.3 | 63.6 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 73.4 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1531/100k | 1813/100k |
| Property Crime | 2621/100k | 2708/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 462,293 | 3,881,041 |
| Median Age | 36.1 | 36.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.73 | 0.73 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+45 | D+45 |
| White (%) | 27.2% | 28.1% |
| Black (%) | 11.5% | 8.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 44.1% | 48.1% |
| Asian (%) | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 10.5/20 | 16.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.8% | 89.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.60 | 5.27 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 Long Beach or Los Angeles more affordable?
- Los Angeles has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Long Beach's $66k and Los Angeles's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Long Beach versus $2k in Los Angeles.
- Is Long Beach or Los Angeles safer?
- Long Beach has the lower violent crime rate. Long Beach reports 1531/100k and Los Angeles reports 1813/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Long Beach or Los Angeles?
- The median home value is $710k in Long Beach and $823k in Los Angeles, so homes are more affordable in Long Beach.