On the footstep of Los Angeles, the city of Long Beach is its smaller, beach-side cousin. It’s home to the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and hosted part of of the 1932 Summer Olympics.
There are many reasons to go and visit Long Beach for a vacation, but there is some speculation to how safe it is.
Is Long Beach safe?
Long Beach is a safe city as indicated by its crime rates, which hovers above the national average. In 2021, Long Beach had a violent crime rate of 550.27 per 100,000 residents, which is 38% higher than the national average and its property crime rate of 2,759.70 per 100,000 residents is 41% greater than the national
The national average for violent crime is 366.7 per 100,000 residents and the national average for property crime is 2,109.9 per 100,000 residents.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Long Beach’s crime rate:
The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) breaks down its crime rating more specifically than many other cities.
Their report lists ten different subsections of property crime and four for violent crime.
The police department has an interactive map that plots crime incidents across the city.
There is hardly a section of the map that is not filled in, though there are some small gaps without reported incidents.
Long Beach Crime Stats
The most recent, complete set of crime statistics comes from the FBI UCR and cross referenced with the Long Beach PD and are for 2020 and 2021:
Violent Crime Stats
2021
2020
%
Murder
37
37
0.0%
Rape
256
242
5.8%
Robbery
765
721
6.1%
Agg Assault
1516
1341
13.0%
TOTAL
2574
2341
10.0%
Property Crime Stats
2021
2020
%
Residential Burglary
1244
1220
2.0%
Garage Burglary
227
353
-35.7%
Comm Burglary
745
980
-24.0%
Auto Burglary
2006
2025
-0.9%
Grand Theft
2020
1677
20.5%
Petty Theft >$50
295
630
-53.2%
Petty Theft <$50
2598
2749
-5.5%
Bike Theft
234
292
-19.9%
GTA
3382
2738
23.5%
Arson
158
126
25.4%
TOTAL
12,909
12,790
0.9%
Violent Crime Rate
In 2021 Long Beach reported 2,574 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 550.27 per 100,000 residents. Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.
Long Beach’s violent crime rate is 38% greater than the national average.
Year over year violent crime has increased 10%.
You have a 1 in 182 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Long Beach.
Property Crime Rate
In 2021 Long Beach reported 12,909 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,759.70 per 100,000 residents. Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Long Beach’s property crime rate is 41% greater than the national average.
Year over year property crime has increased 1%.
You have a 1 in 36 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Long Beach.
Murder Rate
In 2021 Long Beach reported 37 murders and had a murder rate of 7.9 per 100,000 residents. Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Long Beach’s murder rate is 21% greater than the national average.
You have a 1 in 12,642 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Long Beach.
Long Beach Crime Graph
Here’s a graph showing you how crime has trended over the year in Long Beach.
Long Beach’s crime rate vs other cities in California (2020)
Here’s how Long Beach’s crime rate compared to other cities in California. Long Beach had the lowest crime rate for all cities listed.
Here’s a list of the top 23 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Long Beach’s violent crime rate is more than 12 times less than Monroe, Louisiana, the most dangerous city on the list.
City
Population
Violent Crime Rate per 100,000 people
Monroe
47,702
2,932.79
Memphis
633,104
2,418.24
Atlantic City
38,497
2,335.25
Saginaw
44,202
2,327.95
Detroit
639,111
2,248.44
St. Louis
301,578
1,995.17
Alexandria
45,275
1,877.42
Pine Bluff
41,253
1,808.35
Little Rock
202,591
1,805.11
Milwaukee
577,222
1,733.13
South Bend
103,453
1,706.09
Cleveland
372,624
1,689.10
Camden
71,791
1,632.52
Birmingham
200,733
1,577.22
Kansas City
508,090
1,558.58
Baltimore
585,708
1,460.11
Albuquerque
564,559
1,406.41
Chattanooga
181,099
1,382.67
San Bernardino
222,101
1,365.59
New Orleans
383,997
1,358.08
Oakland
440,646
1,347.34
Long Beach
71,576
233.32
Neighborhoods To Avoid
Here are two crime maps showing you where the concentration of violent crimes and property crimes are in Long Beach (March to August 2021).
Violent Crime Map
Property Crime Map
Is Downtown Long Beach Safe?
Though a popular tourist destination with plenty of hotels, bars and restaurants – even the aquarium – Downtown isn’t rated very highly on the safe neighborhood list.
Residents don’t seem to think it’s dangerous, though. The best bet is that if you’re vacationing here, be sure to keep your wits about you and not be a clueless tourist or easy target. Also be weary when walking around at night.
Which Neighborhoods Are Safe?
According to actual residents, safe neighborhoods include:
Los Altos
Belmont Shore
El Dorado Park
Carson Park
Lakewood Village
Old Lakewood City
Bixby Village
East Side
Rancho Estates
Alamitos Heights
What Do Residents Say About Long Beach?
"Long Beach is a block by block city. Unsafe one block, safe the next, unsafe again, then safe for several blocks."
"Avoid North Long Beach and any areas off the 91 fwy."
"Many locals will tell you to stay south of 4th and east of Cherry."
"A good guideline of the good areas of Long Beach is east of Alamitos and south of 7th."
"A general rule of thumb is the further east of Long, the better."
"East Long Beach is the better area, North Long Beach is spotty and is the not-so-great area."
Is It Safe At Night?
Long Beach is generally a safeat night as long as you avoid the problem areas and avoid walking through areas that are desolate and unlit.
Be aware that streets and squares that are perfectly safe to visit in the daytime can be questionable and sketchy at night.
Is It Safe To Visit Alone?
Long Beach isn’t a very public transport-friendly city, visiting it alone may not be the best idea.
Unless you’re renting a car, it’s hard to get around Long Beach, let alone closer to tourist destinations and greater Los Angeles.
You could try to navigate the bus system, but be careful not to get lost in an unfamiliar city.
Tips For Staying Safe
Long Beach PD have a whole page of links to various safety tips based on situation. They’re mostly helpful for residents wanting to protect themselves from identity theft, burglary, hate crimes, scams, and your business. As a visitor, safety tips are pretty straight forward:
Don’t walk alone at night or in unknown neighborhoods.
Always lock anything: your accommodation, your car, etc.
Let friends or family know your plans. Even if they’re not in the city, they’ll know where you meant to be in case something bad happens.
Don’t get drunk alone. No matter how confident you are in yourself, an unfamiliar city is not a safe place to be inebriated in.
Final thoughts
Long Beach is a city like any other in that it will have its potential dangers. Its crime statistics shouldn’t scare you away from visiting, though. As long as you exercise caution when visiting you should be able to have a very nice visit.
Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit.
She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.
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