Long Beach vs Whittier
Long Beach, California versus Whittier, 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 Whittier score about the same overall (43 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Long Beach | Whittier |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $79k | $90k |
| Cost of Living | $66k | $66k |
| Home Value | $710k | $708k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.65% | 0.67% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.05% | 21.52% |
| Unemployment | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.0 in | 13.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 277 days | 277 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 325 days | 297 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.3 | 81.1 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 73.4 | 87.6 |
| Violent Crime | 1531/100k | 520/100k |
| Property Crime | 2621/100k | 1650/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 462,293 | 86,459 |
| Median Age | 36.1 | 37.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.73 | 0.68 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+45 | D+45 |
| White (%) | 27.2% | 22.5% |
| Black (%) | 11.5% | 1.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 44.1% | 67.8% |
| Asian (%) | 12.3% | 4.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 33 min |
| Walkability | 10.5/20 | 12.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 23 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.8% | 88.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.60 | 27.41 |
| 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 Whittier more affordable?
- Whittier has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Long Beach's $66k and Whittier's $66k. Median rent is $2k in Long Beach versus $2k in Whittier.
- Is Long Beach or Whittier safer?
- Whittier has the lower violent crime rate. Long Beach reports 1531/100k and Whittier reports 520/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Long Beach or Whittier?
- The median home value is $710k in Long Beach and $708k in Whittier, so homes are more affordable in Whittier.