What a local Long Beach agent helps you decide
Long Beach covers about 51 square miles of land and holds 11 ZIP codes with very different price levels. In September 2026 Zillow's typical home value ran from $475,752 in downtown ZIP 90802 to $1,330,895 in 90803, which takes in Belmont Shore, Naples and the Peninsula. Neighborhood figures spread even wider, from $394,615 in the East Village to $2,284,521 on the Peninsula. A local agent's first job is to place you, or your house, in the right slice of that range.
Three decisions follow from that. Which part of the city fits your budget and commute: the coast, the east-side tracts around El Dorado Park and Los Altos, the north-side neighborhoods such as Bixby Knolls and California Heights, or downtown towers and conversions. Which kind of home: a detached house, a condo, a townhouse or a small multi-unit building, which Long Beach has more of than most suburbs. And how hard to negotiate. Redfin reports that Long Beach homes sold at 99.6% of list price on average in the three months to September 2026, with 34.1% selling above list, so the asking price is a starting point rather than a fixed number.
Buying a home in Long Beach
Redfin's median sale price in Long Beach was $909,567 for the three months to September 2026, up 9.3% on a year earlier, with 653 homes sold and a median of 47 days on market. Zillow's typical home value, which covers all homes rather than only those that sold, was $852,391 in September 2026, up 2.4% in a year. The two measures differ because the mix of homes that sell each quarter changes. Use one or the other in a comparison, not both.
Step 1 for Long Beach buyers: price the monthly payment
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down on Redfin's $909,567 median is $181,913, and principal and interest on the remaining $727,654 come to about $4,959 a month. Property tax adds roughly $954 a month at the 1.259025% total rate for Long Beach tax rate area 4998 in 2026-27, according to the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller. Your own rate depends on your tax rate area. Insurance and any HOA dues come on top.
Step 2 for Long Beach buyers: choose the ZIP and the home type
Home type matters as much as ZIP here. In 90803, Redfin's median single-family sale over the three months to September 2026 was $1,862,030, while the median condo sold for $654,481. In 90815, around Los Altos and the university, single-family homes sold for a median $1,142,712 and condos for $494,985. Our Long Beach ZIP code guide and Long Beach condo guide break this down further.
Step 3 for Long Beach buyers: read supply before you offer
Citywide supply was 3.7 months in Redfin's three months to September 2026, close to balanced. ZIP 90808, the east-side tract homes near Long Beach Airport, had only 1.4 months, while downtown 90802 had 6.3. A tight ZIP calls for a clean offer near list; a loose one leaves room to ask for credits. Ask your agent for the last six closed sales within a few blocks and how long each sat.
Step 4 for Long Beach buyers: inspect for age and ground
The Census Bureau puts the median year built of Long Beach housing at 1959 (ACS 2020-2024), so sewer laterals, galvanized pipes, older electrical panels and foundation bolting are routine questions. The city sits on the Newport-Inglewood fault zone, the source of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, so ask whether a raised-foundation house has been bolted and braced and price earthquake cover with the California earthquake insurance guide. Our guide to buying a house in California covers contract steps and contingencies.
Selling a home in Long Beach
Sellers are listing into a steady market. Redfin counted 848 new listings and 680 pending sales in Long Beach in the three months to September 2026, and 30.9% of homes went under contract within two weeks. Across the Los Angeles metro, Zillow reports that 24.4% of listings had a price cut in September 2026. That share is the clearest warning about pricing high and waiting.
Step 1 for Long Beach sellers: price against your own ZIP
Citywide figures blur very different markets. Redfin's three-month median days on market ran from 33 in 90808 to 65 in 90814 and 57 in 90803, the two ZIPs around Belmont Heights and Belmont Shore. A seller in 90808 can expect a faster sale than one with a condo downtown, where 90802 condos took a median 62 days. Ask for a pricing range built from sales in your ZIP and home type over the last 90 days.
Step 2 for Long Beach sellers: fix what inspectors will find
Buyers of pre-1960 homes will order sewer camera, roof and foundation inspections. Doing them first lets you repair, credit or disclose on your terms. California's seller disclosure forms apply to every sale; the California seller disclosure guide lists them.
Step 3 for Long Beach sellers: budget the costs of sale
Long Beach is not one of the five Los Angeles County cities with a special transfer tax rate, so a sale pays the standard documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value, according to the county Registrar-Recorder. On Redfin's $909,567 median that is about $1,001. Add escrow, title, any agreed credits and agent fees, all covered in the California closing costs guide and the California transfer tax guide.
Step 4 for Long Beach sellers: decide on timing and terms
With 783 homes for sale citywide in Redfin's latest three-month figures and inventory down 1.5% on a year earlier, sellers are not facing a flood of competition. If you need to buy and sell at once, ask about a rent-back or a contingent purchase before you list. For an as-is sale, see selling a house as-is in California.
Long Beach areas at a glance
Values below are Zillow's typical home value for September 2026 for the Zillow neighborhood named, with the one-year change. For the full list, see the Long Beach neighborhoods guide.
Belmont Shore
The beach neighborhood along Second Street and Ocean Boulevard, in ZIP 90803. Zillow's typical value was $1,364,075, up 3.6%. Small lots, cottages and duplexes close to the sand. See our Belmont Shore guide.
Belmont Heights
The older streets just inland of Belmont Shore, mainly in ZIP 90814, known for early 20th century bungalows. Zillow's typical value was $1,175,183, up 1.6%. See our Belmont Heights guide.
Naples and the Peninsula
The canal islands of Naples ($2,020,015, up 8.5%) and the narrow Peninsula between the ocean and Alamitos Bay ($2,284,521, up 10.5%) are the city's top-priced areas. Expect flood-zone and seawall questions on many lots.
Bixby Knolls and California Heights
North-side neighborhoods off Atlantic Avenue. Bixby Knolls was $1,306,819 (up 5.5%) and California Heights $948,822 (up 1.5%), with many 1920s and 1930s houses.
East Long Beach: Los Altos, El Dorado and the Plaza
Postwar tract homes near CSULB, El Dorado Park and the airport. Los Altos was $1,070,391, El Dorado Park Estates $1,241,697 and the Plaza $1,014,134. ZIP 90808 had the tightest supply in the city at 1.4 months.
Downtown and the East Village
The city's condo and loft market. Downtown was $465,995 (down 3.9%) and the East Village $394,615 (down 5.7%), the lowest entry prices in Long Beach on Zillow's figures.
North Long Beach and the West Side
Detached homes at lower prices: North Long Beach was $711,012 (up 3.1%) and the West Side $701,999 (up 0.8%). ZIP 90805 had the most single-family sales of any lower-priced ZIP, 49 in three months.
Local property checks in Long Beach
Flood and sea level checks on the Long Beach coast
Low-lying areas along the coast and Alamitos Bay, including Naples and the Peninsula, can fall in FEMA flood zones. Look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and ask a lender whether flood insurance will be required. Get a quote before you remove your loan contingency.
Earthquake and older-home checks
With a 1959 median year built, many homes predate modern bolting and bracing. Ask for permits for any seismic retrofit and read the Natural Hazard Disclosure for fault and liquefaction zones.
Property tax and special assessments
Prop 13 sets your base tax at 1% of the purchase price, and voter-approved bonds bring Long Beach rates to about 1.26% in the sample area above. Long-time owners pay far less, so the seller's bill is no guide to yours. The Los Angeles County property tax guide explains supplemental bills and exemptions.
HOA dues, balconies and condo reserves
Condo buyers should read the HOA budget, reserve study and minutes. California's balcony and exterior elevated element inspection rules apply to many older Long Beach buildings; see the balcony inspection law guide.
Utilities run by the city
Long Beach is one of the few California cities that runs its own natural gas utility. Long Beach Utilities supplies water, gas and sewer service, so ask for the last 12 months of those bills alongside the electric bill.
How to choose a Long Beach real estate agent
Interview at least two agents who closed sales in your ZIP in the last year. Ask each one for their recent Long Beach closings by neighborhood, their sale-to-list ratio, who handles showings and paperwork, and how they price against Redfin and Zillow data. Check every license on the California DRE public lookup, which shows the responsible broker and any discipline.
Commission is negotiable. Since the NAR settlement took effect in August 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and that agreement states the agent's pay. Sellers set the listing fee directly and may agree to cover buyer-agent pay. Our California real estate commission guide covers the details. If you want a starting point, our featured local agent page profiles one partner agent for Long Beach: our featured local agent.
Common questions about Long Beach real estate
Are prices dropping? Not on Zillow's latest figure: the typical value rose 2.4% in the year to September 2026 and sat 0.6% below its December 2024 peak of $857,524. Rents are still rising, with Zillow's observed rent at $2,412, up 2.4% in a year. Owner-occupied homes make up 41.2% of occupied units in Long Beach, and the median household income is $87,430 (ACS 2020-2024). For the bigger picture read is Long Beach a good place to live, the Long Beach housing market report and the Long Beach cost of living guide, or browse Los Angeles County market data.