Long Beach, CA

This city of 445,636 residents needs 18,056 more housing units over the next five years. Long Beach is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. Long Beach is part of the Southern California Association of Governments.

Housing snapshot

Population
445,636 (2026)
Households
169,551
Median household income
$99,534 (2026)
Typical home value
$710,927
Owner-occupied
39%
Five-year housing need
18,056 units

Comparison to other California municipalities

Long Beach: $99,534 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$27K >$231K
Long Beach: 1.0 jobs to household ratio
<0.15 >2.52
Long Beach: Permits since 2021 represent 1.7% of housing
<0% >10.5%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

At $710,927, typical home prices in Long Beach, CA are close to the California average of $713,253. Long Beach, CA's median household income of $99,534 falls well short of what is needed to afford the typical home, leaving a gap of about $66,968.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Long Beach, CA has a population of roughly 455,548 that has been largely stable in recent years.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

Long Beach, CA has roughly 169,551 households and a population that has been largely stable in recent years.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

The housing stock in Long Beach, CA is relatively mixed, with detached single-family as the most common type at 40%. In Long Beach, CA, renters make up the majority, with only 39% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Long Beach, CA needs 18,056 new units over the next 5 years.

18,056
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
980
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 1.1 per 1,000 units.
551
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 0.7%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
3,784
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 4.1%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
11,740
Overcrowding adjustment
Overcrowding rate is 10.3%. This is above National avg. of 3.4%.
1,001
Substandard housing adjustment
Substandard housing rate is 1.57%. This is above National avg. of 0.98%.
18,056
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
3,611
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
9.9%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
2.0%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How does this place compare to similar communities?