Is Signal Hill, CA a Good Place to Live?
Signal Hill is a small city of 11,678 in California, with a median household income of $96,385 and a 4.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: Signal Hill stands out for solid school ratings (B), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, longer commutes. Whether Signal Hill is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Signal Hill city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 115.5Signal Hill's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Signal Hill costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Signal Hill, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $684,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,842 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 52.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $96,385 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimeSignal Hill's violent crime rate is 912.5 per 100,000 residents — 140% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Signal Hill is served primarily by Long Beach Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Signal Hill, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Long Beach Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 53 | — |
| Middle Schools | 15 | — |
| High Schools | 13 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 41.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Signal Hill sees average highs of 67.4°F in January and 81.4°F in July, with 12.0 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Signal Hill, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 67.4°F |
| Average High — July | 81.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Signal Hill, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,678 | — |
| Median Age | 36.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 32.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 39.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 9.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 22.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 19.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 11.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Signal Hill
Signal Hill, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: