These Are The 10 Worst Long Beach Suburbs For 2018

Not everyone is cut out for city life. Some people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Long Beach.

So the question arises, do the suburbs maintain a semblance of the larger-than-life appeal of their more famous neighbor?

Today, we’ll use science and data to determine which Long Beach ‘burbs need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Long Beach area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the suburbs to live up to Long Beach proper, although Hermosa Beach certainly tries.

Of course, not all suburbs of Long Beach are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. So without further ado…

We examined the 94 biggest suburbs of Long Beach to find out the worst places to live. And while you won’t necessarily find them on the worst places to live in California lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Long Beach in terms of quality of life.

Here are the 10 worst suburbs around Long Beach for 2018:

1. Commerce (Photos)
2. Cudahy
3. Compton (Photos)
4. Huntington Park (Photos)
5. Bell Gardens (Photos)
6. Pomona (Photos)
7. Bell (Photos)
8. Hawaiian Gardens (Photos)
9. Maywood (Photos)
10. Lynwood (Photos)

Read on to see how we determined the places around Long Beach that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.

Or, if you’re thinking of moving to elsewhere in California check out the best places in California overall or the worst.

And remember, there are some good places to live around Long Beach too.

Editor’s Note: If you see a slight difference between the worst in state rankings and this suburb ranking, it’s because of the methodology. We needed a way to include more places, so we eliminated crime and commute times as criteria for this analysis.

For more California reading, check out:

• 10 Best Places To Live In California
• 10 Cheapest Places To Live In California
• 10 Most Dangerous Cities In California

Determining The Worst Suburbs Around Long Beach for 2018

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent American Community Survey data, this is the criteria we used:

• High unemployment rate
• Low median household incomes
• Low population density (no things to do)
• Low home values
• A lot of high school drop outs
• High poverty
• High rate of uninsured families

FYI: We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Long Beach.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 5,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 94 suburbs to evaluate around Long Beach.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 94 in each category, where 1 was the “worst”.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality of life index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the worst quality of life index the “Worst Suburb near Long Beach.” We’re lookin’ at you, Commerce.

Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the worst of the worst. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from worst to best.

1. Commerce

Population: 12,997
Unemployment Rate: 11.4%
Median Home Price: $343,200
Median Income: $42,235
More on Commerce: Data | Jobs

We’ll get the ball rolling with Commerce, the absolute worst place to live around Long Beach according to the data.

And in the world of worst rankings, Commerce beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the 9th worst in the Long Beach area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks 18th worst when it comes to home values.

But hey, at least it’s cheap to live there. But there’s a reason for that… it’s Commerce.

You won’t feel bad about not having a great income for the area, there aren’t a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.

2. Cudahy

Population: 24,106
Unemployment Rate: 11.9%
Median Home Price: $285,900
Median Income: $39,058
More on Cudahy: Data | Jobs

Welcome to Cudahy. Home to KMart, Big Lots, and a lot of gas stations.

This city is 10.8 miles to Long Beach. Income levels here are the 6th lowest in the metro area, where families bring in about $39,058 a year, which doesn’t go a long ways even on a shoestring budget.

But on the bright side, there are a lot of fast food joints in the area.

3. Compton

Population: 97,740
Unemployment Rate: 13.9%
Median Home Price: $264,300
Median Income: $45,406
More on Compton: Data | Jobs

Back up the highway we go for the third worst Long Beach suburb you can live in. You might have expected to see Compton on here. While the cost of living is low, your entertainment and work options are limited. And that’s an understatement.

In terms of numbers, it’s in the worst 15% for insurance, and the adult high school drop out rate is poor compared to other Long Beach suburbs.

But at least there are nice parks to bring the kids during the day.

4. Huntington Park

Population: 58,921
Unemployment Rate: 11.1%
Median Home Price: $322,300
Median Income: $35,629
More on Huntington Park: Data | Jobs

If you live in Huntington Park, most likely you struggle to make ends meet every month. It ranks as the 1st lowest Long Beach suburb when it comes to residents making money.

Not only that, but this is the 7th worst unemployed suburb you can live in if you choose to live near Long Beach. Remember, we looked at 94 cities for this study.

Huntington Park is about 12.3 miles to downtown.

5. Bell Gardens

Population: 42,805
Unemployment Rate: 10.6%
Median Home Price: $318,700
Median Income: $37,183
More on Bell Gardens: Data | Jobs

Bell Gardens has the distinction of being a Long Beach suburb. Which means that’s about all it has going for it.

All snarkiness aside, Bell Gardens has the 9th lowest home values in the metro Long Beach area, where the median price is $318,700. To put that into perspective, in Hermosa Beach, the median income is $200,766, which is the best in the area.

Bell Gardens has an unemployment rate of 10.6% which ranks 10th worst.

6. Pomona

Population: 151,807
Unemployment Rate: 11.0%
Median Home Price: $310,100
Median Income: $50,360
More on Pomona: Data | Jobs

Pomona has 151,807 residents that probably know it’s a pretty crummy place to live when you look at the data. (Or, if you’ve ever been there, you don’t need to look at the data.)

Incomes are towards the bottom and the poverty rate sits at 21.5%.

7. Bell

Population: 35,927
Unemployment Rate: 11.4%
Median Home Price: $322,900
Median Income: $38,823
More on Bell: Data | Jobs

Ah, Bell. You rank as the 7th worst place to live around Long Beach.

It’s the place with the 5th most out of work residents in the Long Beach metro area (11.4%).

8. Hawaiian Gardens

Population: 14,468
Unemployment Rate: 10.5%
Median Home Price: $288,200
Median Income: $36,026
More on Hawaiian Gardens: Data | Jobs

Hawaiian Gardens is a city about 4.9 miles from Long Beach, but Long Beach probably wishes it was further away. It ranks as the 8th worst burb for 2018.

You’d be hard pressed to find a worse place to live. Hawaiian Gardens has the 9th most uninsured people, 2nd worst incomes, and has the 11th highest unemployment rate (10.5%) in the entire Long Beach metro area.

Homes only cost $288,200 for a reason. That’s cheap for Long Beach standards.

9. Maywood

Population: 27,672
Unemployment Rate: 9.5%
Median Home Price: $325,600
Median Income: $36,696
More on Maywood: Data | Jobs

If you absolutely have to live near Long Beach, then Maywood might be a place for you to consider as it’s only the 9th worst Long Beach suburb.

About 9.5% of residents are out of work.

10. Lynwood

Population: 71,233
Unemployment Rate: 10.2%
Median Home Price: $312,100
Median Income: $43,848
More on Lynwood: Data | Jobs

Rounding out the ten worst Long Beach suburbs to call home is Lynwood.

Located 8.4 miles outside the city, Lynwoods is a real pit when you look at the data. Its residents have the 13th highest unemployment rate (10.2%), and poverty is far above the area average.

The areas around Long Beach where the dream is more of a nightmare for 2018

Well there you have it — the worst of the ‘burbs surrounding Long Beach with Commerce casting itself ahead of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the suburbs around Long Beach aren’t all bad. Hermosa Beach takes the cake as the best place to live around Long Beach.

For more California reading, check out:

• 10 Most Ghetto Cities In California
• These Are The 10 Richest Cities In California
• 10 Safest Places In California
• 10 Worst Places To Live In California

Detailed List Of The Worst Long Beach Suburbs

Rank	City	Population	Unemployment Rate	Median Home Price	Median Income
1	Commerce	12,997	11.4%	$343,200	$42,235
2	Cudahy	24,106	11.9%	$285,900	$39,058
3	Compton	97,740	13.9%	$264,300	$45,406
4	Huntington Park	58,921	11.1%	$322,300	$35,629
5	Bell Gardens	42,805	10.6%	$318,700	$37,183
6	Pomona	151,807	11.0%	$310,100	$50,360
7	Bell	35,927	11.4%	$322,900	$38,823
8	Hawaiian Gardens	14,468	10.5%	$288,200	$36,026
9	Maywood	27,672	9.5%	$325,600	$36,696
10	Lynwood	71,233	10.2%	$312,100	$43,848
11	South Gate	95,219	11.7%	$329,000	$45,522
12	Paramount	54,941	9.1%	$283,400	$46,364
13	South El Monte	20,566	7.0%	$363,100	$42,460
14	El Monte	115,665	9.2%	$374,900	$40,654
15	Inglewood	111,012	13.3%	$355,300	$44,377
16	Stanton	38,594	8.0%	$322,200	$48,332
17	Baldwin Park	76,511	8.8%	$333,500	$53,651
18	Azusa	48,498	8.1%	$342,000	$56,569
19	La Puente	40,384	8.1%	$343,000	$57,174
20	Duarte	21,792	10.4%	$385,600	$65,571
21	Montebello	63,416	8.1%	$413,900	$47,518
22	Hawthorne	86,938	9.8%	$419,600	$45,089
23	Los Angeles	3,918,872	9.2%	$496,300	$51,538
24	Santa Ana	333,605	7.1%	$383,900	$54,062
25	Rosemead	54,507	8.2%	$455,100	$45,510
26	Pico Rivera	63,724	8.6%	$351,300	$57,203
27	Anaheim	346,776	8.1%	$457,600	$61,826
28	Bellflower	77,687	8.3%	$367,300	$50,704
29	Gardena	59,898	8.3%	$372,500	$50,137
30	Carson	92,780	10.8%	$366,700	$73,829
31	Norwalk	106,360	8.0%	$350,600	$61,050
32	Lawndale	33,161	7.0%	$401,700	$51,934
33	Garden Grove	174,676	7.6%	$445,700	$60,522
34	Signal Hill	11,404	7.0%	$446,000	$70,286
35	La Habra	61,660	10.0%	$436,200	$65,799
36	Santa Fe Springs	17,436	4.9%	$371,400	$58,147
37	Westminster	91,635	7.4%	$499,400	$55,287
38	Monterey Park	61,001	7.5%	$532,700	$54,008
39	Glendale	197,895	9.2%	$639,700	$56,069
40	Fullerton	139,491	8.6%	$551,300	$67,110
41	West Covina	107,634	9.9%	$430,800	$71,217
42	Covina	48,539	9.7%	$415,300	$65,451
43	Monrovia	37,090	9.6%	$583,300	$67,167
44	Glendora	51,285	10.1%	$481,800	$78,448
45	Downey	113,223	6.8%	$449,900	$65,332
46	San Gabriel	40,200	6.9%	$605,600	$54,015
47	Orange	139,919	7.3%	$565,800	$79,192
48	Artesia	16,789	5.2%	$419,500	$58,651
49	Lomita	20,652	8.0%	$532,300	$61,580
50	Whittier	86,630	6.7%	$458,500	$67,431
51	Alhambra	84,866	6.0%	$518,800	$53,138
52	Pasadena	140,268	7.1%	$649,800	$73,029
53	Buena Park	82,771	5.7%	$448,900	$70,341
54	Tustin	79,396	6.8%	$543,200	$70,822
55	Laguna Woods	16,347	5.1%	$228,700	$39,201
56	Seal Beach	24,510	6.3%	$308,400	$60,222
57	Costa Mesa	112,439	6.5%	$637,200	$70,438
58	Los Alamitos	11,661	7.8%	$680,100	$80,926
59	San Dimas	34,109	7.0%	$481,000	$79,081
60	La Mirada	49,130	6.9%	$448,400	$81,956
61	Placentia	52,168	6.8%	$554,500	$80,668
62	Chino Hills	77,266	7.0%	$537,800	$97,222
63	Diamond Bar	56,456	7.3%	$593,100	$89,845
64	Lakewood	81,054	6.3%	$445,800	$82,175
65	West Hollywood	35,661	7.3%	$642,200	$61,127
66	Brea	41,351	6.4%	$579,600	$85,555
67	Fountain Valley	56,670	6.6%	$626,600	$84,763
68	La Palma	15,834	6.4%	$602,000	$83,760
69	El Segundo	16,901	7.2%	$828,300	$91,623
70	Lake Forest	80,658	5.2%	$550,600	$92,415
71	Arcadia	57,755	6.5%	$920,700	$83,958
72	Walnut	30,026	6.6%	$679,700	$97,345
73	Santa Monica	92,247	8.3%	$1,086,300	$82,123
74	Cypress	48,978	5.2%	$540,900	$84,469
75	Irvine	246,992	6.2%	$718,800	$93,823
76	Huntington Beach	198,724	6.0%	$659,700	$85,312
77	Beverly Hills	34,627	8.0%	$1,900,500	$100,630
78	Cerritos	49,797	6.6%	$620,500	$95,373
79	Villa Park	5,922	8.7%	$1,030,800	$131,386
80	Torrance	147,307	6.4%	$652,600	$80,862
81	Laguna Beach	23,204	6.8%	$1,390,500	$100,506
82	South Pasadena	25,936	6.2%	$876,900	$84,593
83	La Habra Heights	5,406	4.9%	$893,200	$110,329
84	Yorba Linda	67,362	6.5%	$728,300	$119,697
85	Aliso Viejo	50,219	5.9%	$539,000	$103,261
86	Sierra Madre	11,067	5.3%	$861,200	$95,256
87	Newport Beach	86,813	5.4%	$1,584,900	$115,845
88	San Marino	13,324	4.3%	$1,518,400	$139,792
89	Rolling Hills Estates	8,206	4.4%	$1,096,400	$129,728
90	Rancho Palos Verdes	42,412	4.3%	$1,003,300	$120,668
91	Palos Verdes Estates	13,582	2.0%	$1,609,500	$200,766
92	Redondo Beach	67,664	5.8%	$775,300	$103,782
93	Manhattan Beach	35,573	5.1%	$1,537,200	$144,868
94	Hermosa Beach	19,726	4.1%	$1,166,800	$121,345