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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-LONG-BEACH-CA · Long Beach, CA 458,491 pop · income 66th pct · 614 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Long Beach
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Long Beach on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Miami · lowest
59,390
Miami · lowest
59,390 median HH income
61.0% of the leader · rank #1
Long Beach · this city
83,969
Long Beach · this city
83,969 median HH income
86.2% of the leader · rank #2
Palos Hills · near
83,969
Palos Hills · near
83,969 median HH income
86.2% of the leader · rank #3
Sand Point · near
83,973
Sand Point · near
83,973 median HH income
86.2% of the leader · rank #4
Burbank · near
83,975
Burbank · near
83,975 median HH income
86.2% of the leader · rank #5
Hopelawn · near
83,977
Hopelawn · near
83,977 median HH income
86.2% of the leader · rank #6
Oakland · highest
97,369
Oakland · highest
97,369 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Long Beach on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 458,491.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Long Beach - the verdict
Nationally, Long Beach sits in the 66th percentile for household income and the 7th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
66th
percentile, household income
94th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
7th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Long Beach, CA
California's Long Beach is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 458,491 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Long Beach households earn a median of $83,969 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.3%. Long Beach's housing stock carries a median value of $762,200, and the median resident age is 36.8 years. About 34.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 62.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 477 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 59% from five years earlier. Long Beach's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 4155.3 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Long Beach's yearly average temperature at 64.9°F with 12.0 inches of precipitation per year.
California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,053 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 25.7 minutes, with 68.3% driving alone and 14.4% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 88.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Long Beach's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to work and mobility to within-city variation to comparison shortlist to housing and income to climate and hazard context to reported crime to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Long Beach, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Long Beach?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 78 public schools within the city match. 34.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What does the journey to work look like in Long Beach?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 68.3%. The reported mean trip to work is 25.7 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
What can 614 Census tracts reveal inside Long Beach?
PlainCities matches 614 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Long Beach?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within California, the closest population matches are Oakland (438,072 residents, $97,369 income); Bakersfield (408,366 residents, $77,397 income); Sacramento (524,802 residents, $83,753 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Virginia Beach, VA (457,066 residents); Miami, FL (446,663 residents); Raleigh, NC (470,763 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Long Beach?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 9.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
9.1×
Home value
$762,200
Household income
$83,969
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What physical conditions frame life in Long Beach?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 64.9°F, with 12.0 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for California is 88.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
88.7
Annual precipitation
12.0 in
Mean temperature
64.9°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Long Beach?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 4155.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 82% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
4155.3
Violent rate
676.4
Property rate
3478.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is Long Beach growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -15,097 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -3.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 477 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
465,566
2025 estimate
450,469
Period change
-3.2%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 10.3% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
110.7 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
F
City profile score · Long Beach, CA
36/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B-
34.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C+
$83,969
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
10.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
676 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
110.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Long Beach profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 66/100 (B-) · 34.8%
Household income: 63/100 (C+) · $83,969
Poverty rate: 38/100 (F) · 10.3%
Violent crime: 7/100 (F) · 676 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where Long Beach sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Long Beach's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Long Beach highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Long Beach, CA (this city): home $762,200, crime 4,155/100k
Virginia Beach, VA : home $366,300, crime 1,732/100k
Miami, FL : home $475,200, crime 3,468/100k
Raleigh, NC : home $377,800, crime 3,308/100k
Colorado Springs, CO : home $420,700, crime 4,164/100k
Omaha, NE : home $230,100, crime 3,531/100k
Minneapolis, MN : home $345,600, crime 6,303/100k
Oakland, CA : home $924,700, crime 9,156/100k
Bakersfield, CA : home $347,300, crime 3,024/100k
Sacramento, CA : home $484,600, crime 3,302/100k
Fresno, CA : home $348,500, crime 4,007/100k
Anaheim, CA : home $771,700, crime 2,728/100k
Stockton, CA : home $412,900, crime 3,785/100k
How does Long Beach compare to other US cities?
Where Long Beach sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income66% higher than other cities
Home value94% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety7% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, Long Beach ranks #413 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Long Beach against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
California-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Long Beach near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Long Beach ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Long Beach only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#714 of 1,338
47th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#391 of 1,343
71st percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#476 of 1,450
67th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#529 of 1,458
64th percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
66th percentile nationally for median household income · 7th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Long Beach's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Long Beach's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Long Beach's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$762,2006th percentilemore affordable than 6% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Long Beach's home-value-to-income ratio: 9.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,253 of 15,516
More affordable than 2% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#114 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 9.1×, Long Beach sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,253 of 15,516 and #114 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$83,969Long Beach, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Long Beach, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Long Beach, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)34.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)62.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
458,491
Median Income
$83,969
Median Home Value
$762,200
Median Age
36.8
Poverty Rate
10.3%
Labor force participation
62.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
4155.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
676.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3478.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
64.9°F
Annual Precipitation
12.0"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
78
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Long Beach's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
465,566 residents
2021
455,224 residents
2022
454,175 residents
2023
451,843 residents
2024
451,575 residents
2025
450,469 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
477
housing units authorized
Single-Family
185
detached homes
Multifamily
292
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,161
100
1,061
$229.0M
2020
840
174
666
$108.3M
2021
908
304
604
$163.6M
2022
494
192
302
$65.6M
2023
635
167
468
$92.2M
2024
477
185
292
$65.4M
Permit volume decreased 59% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
25.7 minutes
Drive Alone
68.3%
Carpool
8.6%
Public Transit
3.9%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
14.4%
Other
2.2%
Based on 228,393 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).
These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for Long Beach. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Long Beach is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Long Beach sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Long Beach compares to similar-size California cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.