Long Beach, CA vs Melrose, MA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Long Beach

62.3

#1863 nationally

Melrose

67.3

#1438 nationally

Melrose leads in median household income ($126,305 vs $69,471). Long Beach leads in average commute (28.4 min vs 37.1 min). Long Beach leads in cost of living index (142 vs 167).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Long Beach, CA	Melrose, MA
WhereAtHome Score	62.3 (#1863)	67.3 (#1438)
Population	466,742	29,357
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$860,012	$930,823
Median Household Income	$69,471	$126,305
Average Commute	28.4 min	37.1 min
Walk Score	67	62
Crime Level	Moderate-High	2.8
School Rating	5.2	N/A
Cost of Living Index	142	167
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+32.9	D+39.5