City comparison
No. Riverside's crime index is 158 versus 187 in Long Beach, and its violent crime index is 163 versus 189, using 2024-2025 FBI data.
Long Beach is cheaper. Median rent is $1,871 a month versus $1,914 in Riverside.
Long Beach and Riverside are closer on paper than many city pairs, so the move comes down to how you weight cost, safety, and climate. Typical rent sits near $1,871 in Long Beach and $1,914 in Riverside, and median household income lands at $87,430 versus $91,045. Use the category rows below to see which gaps would change your daily life.
This is a genuine split. Long Beach wins on cost of living and Riverside wins on the job market and safety. Which matters more depends entirely on how you live: remote workers and families weight these categories differently than commuters or single professionals.
Visit both if you can. Cities reveal themselves in the ordinary moments, a Tuesday morning commute, a Saturday errand run, not on a weekend visit.
The move
Long Beach and Riverside are 47 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,871 a month in Long Beach to $1,914 a month in Riverside, up $43 a month (2%).
Median household income goes from $87,430 in Long Beach to $91,045 in Riverside, up $3,615 (4%).
The crime index goes from 187 in Long Beach to 158 in Riverside, down 29 points (16%).
The move
Riverside and Long Beach are 47 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,914 a month in Riverside to $1,871 a month in Long Beach, down $43 a month (2%).
Median household income goes from $91,045 in Riverside to $87,430 in Long Beach, down $3,615 (4%).
The crime index goes from 158 in Riverside to 187 in Long Beach, up 29 points (18%).
Long Beach, CA
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Riverside, CA
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Long Beach and Riverside? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
2% cheaper
Long Beach rent is 2% cheaper than Riverside
Long Beach
Winner$1,871/mo
Riverside
$1,914/mo
Typical rent runs $1,871 a month in Long Beach versus $1,914 in Riverside, so Long Beach is 2% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $43, or $516 a year: noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Planning to buy in Riverside? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
4% higher
Riverside's median income is 4% higher than Long Beach
Long Beach
$87,430
Riverside
Winner$91,045
Median household income is $91,045 in Riverside versus $87,430 in Long Beach, so typical pay runs 4% higher in Riverside (about $3,615 more household income a year). The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
16% lower crime
Riverside's crime index is 16% lower than Long Beach
Long Beach
187 (100 = avg)
Riverside
Winner158 (100 = avg)
Riverside's crime index is 158 versus 187 in Long Beach (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 16% lower in Riverside. That gap is meaningful day-to-day. It affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Riverside is the easier city. Long Beach can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
Neck and neck
Long Beach and Riverside are about even on typical weather.
Long Beach
76°F avg · 81°F highs · comfort 100/100
Riverside
77°F avg · 84°F highs · comfort 100/100
Long Beach averages about 76°F (81°F highs); Riverside averages about 77°F (84°F highs). Long Beach sits near 76°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. Riverside sits near 77°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. On daily comfort these two are close enough that the better fit is whichever season you already know you can live with.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Long Beach
Long Beach is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 2% cheaper here at about $1,871 a month. Choose Long Beach if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Riverside is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 4% higher here ($91,045). Start with Riverside if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Riverside is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 16% lower than Long Beach (158 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
Long Beach carries the heavier crime signal on this page (41/100 safety vs 46/100 in Riverside). That 5-point spread matters more than the $43 rent gap when you are choosing where to walk after dark.
Long Beach rent at $1,871/month is still below Riverside's $1,914, so cost-sensitive households should weigh the lease before the paycheck.
Typical rent stays $1,871 in Long Beach and $1,914 in Riverside.
Riverside clears the bar on safety in this dataset. Long Beach deserves a serious look only when you already know the Long Beach block you would live on and the safety gap is acceptable.
Common questions
Ready to move to Riverside?
Next steps
Quotes and listings for Riverside when you're ready to act.
Keep researching
Nearby research
Open full neighborhood reports for Long Beach and Riverside, plus other cities in CA.
