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 462,081 inhabitants. With a population density of 9,111 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. An important consideration when living in Long Beach is the longer-than-average commute times. If you seek a short work commute, this area may not be the best choice for you. The one-way commute time here typically takes 31 minutes, far surpassing the national average of 26 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 search. 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 crime, commute, education, 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 70/100 and is ranked #250 in California and #6,311 in the USA. If we check out each of the categories on their own, we see that Long Beach ranks well for education (A-) and employment (B+). There is at least one category that did not score well in Long Beach. The following was graded with a less than perfect score: crime (D-) and cost of living (F).
Long Beach has many conveniently situated amenities and captivating attractions that adds to the continuous enjoyment of your everyday life. Having the assurance of abundant conveniences and a wide array of activities ensures your easy access to nearby grocery stores, restaurants, bars, fitness facilities, coffee shops and exciting entertainment options. This not only simplifies daily routines but also fosters a vibrant and dynamic lifestyle within the community. With a wealth of resources at your fingertips, you can savor the convenience and variety that Long Beach has to offer, making it a desirable destination for those seeking both accessibility and enjoyment in their daily lives. Some of the more notable entertainment options include: 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. The median home price for Long Beach homes is $584,200, which is 42.7% higher than the California average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Long Beach, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 8.8, which is 37.5% higher than the California average.
| 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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