Long Beach, CA

Census place 0643000 · pop 455,548

F27/ 100
💀 Bad
F
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Obesity27.4% · top 14%
🚽 Disaster100/100 · bottom 1%
💡 Did you know?

Home port of the RMS Queen Mary ocean liner and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.64% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1001

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Air quality (AQI)County-level80 AQI3

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

80 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level133 days3

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

133 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership41.2%5

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

41.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Unemployment rateCounty-level5.5%7

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

5.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property crime rate3584/100k7

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

3584 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Housing cost$806,6007

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$806,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Violent crime rate690/100k9

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

690 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Population growth (5yr)-2.4%17

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-2.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Commute time30 min17

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

30 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Rent$2,347/mo21

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$2,347/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Income inequality0.4628

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Uninsured adults11.9%32

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

11.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Poverty rate14.8%35

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

14.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health17.5%44

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

17.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Physical inactivity25.7%47

U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities

25.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Bachelor's degree or higher35.6%61

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

35.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult smoking11.9%64

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

11.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Broadband access93.3%64

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

93.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Median household income$87,43064

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$87,430 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Property-tax burden0.64%79

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.64% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Adult obesity27.4%86

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

27.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Frequently asked

Is Long Beach, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Long Beach scores 27/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is natural disaster risk. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Long Beach, CA?
Long Beach reports 690 violent crimes per 100k and 3584 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Long Beach, CA expensive to live in?
Long Beach has a median home value of $806,600 and typical rent around $2,347/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Long Beach, CA?
Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Long Beach, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (27.4%) — 86/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home port of the RMS Queen Mary ocean liner and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.