Long Beach vs Santa Monica
Long Beach, California versus Santa Monica, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Santa Monica edges out Long Beach on overall objective livability (48 vs 43 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Long Beach | Santa Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $107k |
| Cost of Living | $66k | $66k |
| Home Value | $710k | $1.7M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.65% | 0.60% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.05% | 25.58% |
| Unemployment | 6.6% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 69°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.0 in | 12.2 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 | 328 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.3 | 93.1 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 73.4 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1531/100k | 1869/100k |
| Property Crime | 2621/100k | 4532/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 462,293 | 92,168 |
| Median Age | 36.1 | 42.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.73 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+45 | D+45 |
| White (%) | 27.2% | 62.3% |
| Black (%) | 11.5% | 5.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 44.1% | 17.2% |
| Asian (%) | 12.3% | 8.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 6.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 10.5/20 | 17.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 7 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.8% | 92.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.60 | 155.91 |
| 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 Santa Monica more affordable?
- Santa Monica has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Long Beach's $66k and Santa Monica's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Long Beach versus $2k in Santa Monica.
- Is Long Beach or Santa Monica safer?
- Long Beach has the lower violent crime rate. Long Beach reports 1531/100k and Santa Monica reports 1869/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Long Beach or Santa Monica?
- The median home value is $710k in Long Beach and $1.7M in Santa Monica, so homes are more affordable in Long Beach.