Median rent is 26% lower in Long Beach ($1,871/mo vs $2,544/mo). Buying is cheaper in Santa Clarita, where the median home runs $784,700 versus $806,600. Households earn more in Santa Clarita ($123,062 vs $87,430 a year).
City A
Long Beach, CA
City B
Santa Clarita, CA
How much would you need to earn in Santa Clarita, CA to maintain your standard of living from Long Beach, CA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Long Beach
California
Santa Clarita
California
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Long Beach — median rent of $1,871/mo versus $2,544/mo in Santa Clarita, a 26% difference. Median home values are within 3% of each other: $806,600 in Long Beach and $784,700 in Santa Clarita.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Long Beach
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Santa Clarita
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Santa Clarita has cleaner air on average: 60.0 AQI (Moderate) compared to 65.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Santa Clarita if you prioritize higher median household income ($123,062/yr).
Pick Long Beach if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,871/mo median).
Is Long Beach cheaper than Santa Clarita?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Long Beach vs Santa Clarita?
Median rent is $1,871/mo in Long Beach, CA and $2,544/mo in Santa Clarita, CA. Long Beach, CA has the lower rent by about 26%.
Which has higher salaries — Long Beach or Santa Clarita?
Median household income is $87,430 in Long Beach, CA and $123,062 in Santa Clarita, CA. Santa Clarita, CA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Santa Clarita, CA has better air quality on average: 60.0 AQI versus 65.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Long Beach or Santa Clarita?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Santa Clarita to match my Long Beach income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
