Moving to Long Beach: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Long Beach means moving to a genuinely distinct incorporated city from Los Angeles proper -- the LA metro's major port city, anchored by the Port of Long Beach's real, nationally significant economic role and a genuinely diverse waterfront community.
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Learn moreA real, distinct identity from Los Angeles proper
Long Beach is its own incorporated city with its own government and school district -- not a Los Angeles neighborhood -- home to the nation's largest Cambodian-American community outside Cambodia itself, anchored by the officially designated Cambodia Town business corridor along Anaheim Street.
Confirm California's real tax picture before budgeting
California's real top marginal income tax rate runs 13.3% (over $1M) -- the highest in the US -- and Long Beach's own combined sales tax rate runs 10.5%, among the highest in California, following a local increase effective April 2025.
Weigh real earthquake risk and an elevated crime rate before moving
Long Beach's defining natural hazard is real, significant earthquake risk from the nearby Newport-Inglewood Fault (the 1933 Long Beach earthquake killed 115-120 people), and the overall crime rate runs approximately 47% above the national average -- both real, disclosed factors worth weighing before moving.
Key takeaways
- Long Beach carries a real, distinct identity from Los Angeles proper, including the nation's largest Cambodian-American community outside Cambodia (Cambodia Town).
- California's 13.3% top income tax rate and Long Beach's own 10.5% combined sales tax rate both apply.
- Real earthquake risk and an elevated crime rate are worth weighing before moving.
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