Is Long Beach, MS a Good Place to Live?
Long Beach is a small city of 16,809 in Mississippi, with a median household income of $66,573 and a 5.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 89 (US average = 100), which is 11% below the national average.
Strengths: Long Beach stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Long Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Long Beach 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: 89.3Long Beach's overall cost of living index is 89.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Long Beach costs roughly 11% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Long Beach, MS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $187,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,132 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 65.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $66,573 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLong Beach's violent crime rate is 82.1 per 100,000 residents — 78% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Long Beach is served primarily by Long Beach School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Long Beach, MS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Long Beach School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Long Beach sees average highs of 60.9°F in January and 90.2°F in July, with 68.2 inches of annual precipitation and 0.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Long Beach, MS |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 60.9°F |
| Average High — July | 90.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 68.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Long Beach, MS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,809 | — |
| Median Age | 41.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 83.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 8.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Long Beach
Long Beach, MS is covered by 1 ZIP code: