Where new homes are being built in and around Long Beach
Long Beach is almost fully built out. The median home in the city was built in 1959 (Census ACS 2020-2024), and we could not find a single large builder selling a new-home tract inside city limits when we checked on October 30, 2026. New homes here come in four forms: condos and apartments in downtown towers, small infill townhome projects, accessory dwelling units added behind existing houses, and second homes or lot splits under SB 9. For a planned community with a sales office and model homes, buyers look to Carson, Lakewood and north Orange County, all within a short drive.
The city publishes a Development Projects Map, a useful way to spot a for-sale project before it reaches the listing sites, and its Planning Bureau posts a quarterly activity report.
New home communities near Long Beach
Manhattan Square, Carson (Lennar)
A gated community of new condos and townhomes at 500 Park Drive, Carson, CA 90745, with a community pool. Lennar's page listed it as actively selling from the mid $700,000s to the upper $900,000s, with 25 homes available, when we checked on October 30, 2026. Plans run from 1,229 to 2,066 square feet, with two to four bedrooms, across four collections (Brixton, Chelsea, Madison and Ellison). Several two-bedroom Brixton homes were listed at $749,990. Ask the sales office for the HOA dues and any special tax before you compare it with a Long Beach condo.
Madera, Lakewood (Brandywine Homes)
A coming-soon community of 45 three-story townhomes in Lakewood, which borders Long Beach on the north and east. Brandywine Homes lists three- and four-bedroom plans of about 1,568 to 1,838 square feet, with two-car garages and private yards, and says it expects to open in early 2027. No prices were posted on October 30, 2026; join the interest list to get them first.
Cerise at Citrus Square, Cypress (Melia Homes)
An income-restricted community of 50 one-bedroom condos for buyers aged 62 and older in Cypress, a few miles east of Long Beach across the county line. Melia Homes estimated prices at $440,000 to $485,000, with two homes listed at $450,000 and $465,000 for 763 square feet, and maximum household incomes of $116,400 for one person and $133,050 for two, on October 30, 2026. The builder says the community is nearing sellout. Buyers must qualify under the affordable program, so read its resale rules carefully.
Riverdale, Long Beach (Brandywine Homes, sold out)
A sizable recent new-home tract in the city. Brandywine Homes built 131 single-family detached homes at Riverdale in Long Beach, priced from the low $600,000s, and sold out in 2018. Its homes now come up only as resales, which is the usual way to buy a nearly new detached house in Long Beach. Ask the seller for the remaining builder warranty paperwork and the HOA documents.
Recent sold-out townhome communities nearby
Brandywine also lists Carson Landing in Carson, 175 townhomes from the $600,000s, sold out in 2024, and Amarante in Artesia, 30 townhomes from the $700,000s, sold out in 2024. These show what builders charge for new attached homes in the area and are useful comparisons when you price a resale in them.
| Community | City | Builder | Homes | Status and price (as listed by the builder) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Square | Carson | Lennar | Condos and townhomes, 25 available | Selling, mid $700,000s to upper $900,000s (Oct 30, 2026) |
| Madera | Lakewood | Brandywine Homes | 45 townhomes | Coming soon, early 2027; no prices yet |
| Cerise at Citrus Square | Cypress | Melia Homes | 50 one-bedroom condos, 62+, income-restricted | Nearing sellout, $440,000 to $485,000 (Oct 30, 2026) |
| Riverdale | Long Beach | Brandywine Homes | 131 detached homes | Sold out 2018, from low $600,000s |
| Carson Landing | Carson | Brandywine Homes | 175 townhomes | Sold out 2024, from $600,000s |
Building new on a Long Beach lot
Adding an ADU in Long Beach
The city says Long Beach is the highest per-capita producer of accessory dwelling units in California. It now applies state ADU law directly while it writes a new local ordinance. A junior ADU can be up to 500 square feet inside the existing house or attached garage. The city runs a Pre-Approved ADU program for new detached units. Plans are submitted in person at the Permit Center, 411 W. Ocean Blvd., 2nd floor. Our California ADU guide covers the state limits.
SB 9 homes and lot splits in Long Beach
On an R-1 lot with no more than one house, SB 9 allows a second home or a duplex, and an urban lot split into two parcels where the smaller is at least 40% of the original. Long Beach treats an SB 9 unit as a principal dwelling, with the same fees as any new home. SB 9 units are allowed on lots with non-contributing buildings in historic districts.
Historic districts, the coastal zone and methane zones
Three local layers add time and cost. Homes in a historic district such as California Heights or Belmont Heights need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Lots in the coastal zone need a local coastal development permit before a building permit. And the city's methane gas zone map shows the zone where the city reviews and inspects methane gas mitigation for new projects. Check all three maps before you buy a lot or a house to build on.
Mello-Roos, HOA dues and affordable units
Newer tracts in California are often in a Mello-Roos community facilities district, which adds a special tax to the property tax bill. Infill projects in established cities like Long Beach are less likely to carry one, but always ask for the tax bill or the builder's public report; our Mello-Roos guide shows how to look one up. New condos and townhomes almost always have an HOA. Ask for the budget and reserve plan, since early-year dues can be set low while the builder still controls the board.
Long Beach's updated inclusionary housing policy, for projects with complete applications filed on or after May 3, 2025, requires 10% of homes in for-sale projects of 10 or more units to be affordable to households earning up to 200% of area median income, sold to first-time buyers. If you qualify, ask any new Long Beach project for its affordable sales list.
New vs resale prices in Long Beach
Redfin's median sale price for Long Beach was $909,567 in the three months to September 2026, up 9.3% on a year earlier, with homes taking a median 47 days to sell. A new two-bedroom townhome at Manhattan Square was listed at $749,990 on the same day we checked. That is not a like-for-like comparison: the Long Beach median includes larger detached houses near the coast, while new attached homes nearby are mostly two and three bedrooms. Compare a new home against recent resales of the same size and type, and add HOA dues to the monthly cost. The Long Beach housing market page has the trend.
Inspections and warranties on a new home
Hire your own inspector even on a new home, ideally at the pre-drywall stage and again before closing. California's Right to Repair Act (SB 800) sets building standards for new homes and a claims process with the builder; ask the sales office for its written warranty and how to file a claim. On an ADU or SB 9 home you build yourself, the contractor's license, permits and final inspections matter more than any warranty. Look up the contractor on the Contractors State License Board site before you sign.
Buying a new home with a local agent
Builders' sales staff work for the builder. If you want your own agent, most builders require the agent to register you at your first visit, so bring them or call ahead. Since 2024, buyer-agent pay is agreed in a written agreement with your agent, so ask the builder whether it pays a co-broker fee. Our featured Long Beach agent can help compare new and resale options, and the commission guide explains the rules.