If you’re planning a move to Long Beach in the near future, then you’re in the right place. We’ve taken the guesswork out of finding the Long Beach’s best neighborhoods by turning to science and data.
Just a half hour south of Los Angeles, Long Beach is among the best cities that California has to offer. It has pristine beaches, heaps of farmers markets, and the nicest weather in the country. It’s also an incredibly walkable city that will allow you to ditch your car and cut down on your carbon footprint. On top of that, it’s a “paws-a-tively” dog-friendly city, so even your pup will agree that you’ve made a good choice by moving here. I mean, Snoop Dogg and Sublime both got their starts here, so you know Long Beach has a solid track record for producing excellence.
With all these great amenities, it’s hard to go wrong in Long Beach. But we at Homesnacks aren’t satisfied with merely not going wrong — we want to provide you with the tools to discover the very best that Long Beach has to offer. The places where unemployment is low, property values are going up, streets are safe, and amenities are aplenty.
So where are the best neighborhoods in Long Beach? By and large, neighborhoods that made the cut are located in the city’s south and east ends. Italophiles with deep pockets will absolutely adore life in Naples, where canals complete with gondoliers are a part of the everyday landscape. Folks looking to live in the wealthiest corner of the city will find plenty of one-percenters in El Dorado Park. Those who want an affordable spot with plenty of vibrancy and youth will feel right at home in City College Area. And if you’re a movie buff that wants to live among estate-sized homes that frequently feature in Hollywood films, then Los Cerritos will provide a truly cinematic experience.
So get ready to walk along some of the nation’s nicest beaches with your dog in tow, because we’re taking a little stroll through Long Beach’s best neighborhoods.
$102,266 median income · $1,090,600 median home value
$115,995 median income · $713,033 median home value
$94,919 median income · $941,800 median home value
$113,703 median income · $676,764 median home value
$117,857 median income · $660,512 median home value
$89,878 median income · $673,983 median home value
$87,060 median income · $972,533 median home value
$94,172 median income · $1,025,930 median home value
$112,954 median income · $688,167 median home value
$105,042 median income · $826,515 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
California statewide median: $99,122
California statewide median: $774,582
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Long Beach, CA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Long Beach, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 27 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Long Beach.” We’re lookin’ at you, Dominguez.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Long Beach, California has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Long Beach.
The full plate
Table: Best Long Beach neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dominguez | 381 | $1,090,600 | $102,266 |
| 2 | El Dorado Park | 1,096 | $713,033 | $115,995 |
| 3 | Alamitos Heights | 3,291 | $941,800 | $94,919 |
| 4 | The Plaza | 20,109 | $676,764 | $113,703 |
| 5 | City College Area | 12,643 | $660,512 | $117,857 |
| 6 | Lakewood Village | 7,786 | $673,983 | $89,878 |
| 7 | Park Estates | 3,071 | $972,533 | $87,060 |
| 8 | Belmont Shore | 6,524 | $1,025,930 | $94,172 |
| 9 | State College Area | 5,340 | $688,167 | $112,954 |
| 10 | Belmont Heights | 11,972 | $826,515 | $105,042 |
| 11 | Los Cerritos Area | 4,992 | $628,414 | $99,321 |
| 12 | Airport Area | 408 | $628,300 | $86,875 |
| 13 | Naples-Marina Area | 8,881 | $896,633 | $96,927 |
| 14 | Bixby Knolls | 4,266 | $791,050 | $69,693 |
| 15 | East Side | 13,802 | $538,344 | $57,304 |
| 16 | Los Altos | 9,578 | $672,010 | $115,735 |
| 17 | Bixby Area | 13,274 | $537,640 | $80,680 |
| 18 | Wilmington | 329 | $466,333 | $97,746 |
| 19 | Wrigley | 26,743 | $538,806 | $71,180 |
| 20 | West Side | 28,465 | $418,255 | $61,102 |
| 21 | North Long Beach | 88,756 | $411,422 | $58,126 |
| 22 | Downtown | 12,810 | $447,410 | $73,868 |
| 23 | Circle Area | 28,815 | $377,553 | $54,626 |
| 24 | Californial Heights | 6,988 | $466,250 | $74,520 |
| 25 | City Of Signal Hill | 10,207 | $295,029 | $63,499 |
| 26 | Poly High District | 28,178 | $443,412 | $49,979 |
| 27 | North West Long Beach | 10,728 | $317,288 | $55,268 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 27 Long Beach neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Long Beach
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Long Beach where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Long Beach are Dominguez, El Dorado Park, Alamitos Heights, The Plaza, City College Area, Lakewood Village, Park Estates, Belmont Shore, State College Area, and Belmont Heights.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Long Beach aren’t all good. North West Long Beach takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Long Beach.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on California? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Long Beach FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Long Beach?
Dominguez is the best neighborhood in Long Beach for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. El Dorado Park and Alamitos Heights are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Long Beach?
The best neighborhoods in Long Beach are Dominguez, El Dorado Park, Alamitos Heights, The Plaza, City College Area, Lakewood Village, Park Estates, Belmont Shore, State College Area, and Belmont Heights. We ranked all 27 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Dominguez?
The median household income in Dominguez is $102,266 and the median home costs $1,090,600. The best blocks in Long Beach rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Long Beach neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Dominguez, takes the top spot.
Which Long Beach neighborhood ranked last?
North West Long Beach came in last of the 27 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Long Beach the numbers put it there.
