Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Long Beach, CA
VS
Tallahassee, FL
🏆 Tallahassee leads 10 of 19 categories
Long Beach
California
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$78,995 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
178⚠ High
Population
462,293 ✓ Larger
Tallahassee
Florida
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
95.3 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$52,899
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,259
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Long Beach, CA
Pros
Households earn $26,096 more per year on average
Cooler summers — July highs near 81°F vs 92°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $709,700
Higher rents — median is $1,698/mo
Violent crime (676.4/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Cost of living runs 20% higher than Tallahassee
Tallahassee, FL
Pros
Homes cost $453k less ($256,400 vs $709,700)
Rent averages $533/mo less ($1,165 vs $1,698)
20% cheaper overall cost of living than Long Beach
Commutes run 12 min shorter each way
More college-educated — 49.9% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 17.1:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Long Beach by $26,096/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Long Beach
Median Income
$26,096
$78,995 vs $52,899/yr
Tallahassee
Cost of Living
20% cheaper
COL index 95.3 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Tallahassee
Median Home Value
$453k less
$256,400 vs $709,700
Tallahassee
Summer Heat
10.7°F warmer
July avg high 92.1°F vs 81.4°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Long Beach, CA | Tallahassee, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 95.3 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $709,700⚠ High | $256,400 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,698⚠ High | $1,165 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $78,995 ✓ Higher | $52,899 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.6%⚠ High | 6.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 30.4 min⚠ High | 18.6 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 12.5% ✓ Higher | 11.1% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 173⚠ High | — |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 178⚠ High | — |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 166⚠ High | — |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B- (91) | A- (113) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 23.7:1 | 17.1:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 33.7% | 49.9% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 81.2% | 93.2% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Long Beach Unified | LEON |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 67.4°F ✓ Warmer | 63.9°F |
| Avg High — July | 81.4°F | 92.1°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.0" ✓ Drier | 57.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 462,293 ✓ Larger | 198,259 |
| Median Age | 36.1 ✓ Older | 27.6 |
| Homeownership Rate | 40.6% ✓ Higher | 39.8% |
| Under 18 | 20.7% ✓ More | 16.7% |
| Over 65 | 12.5% ✓ More | 11.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Long Beach's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Tallahassee's 95.3 (US average = 100).
Tallahassee is 20% less expensive overall.
Based on the 19 decided categories above, Tallahassee leads 10 of 19 categories. Long Beach wins 9 and Tallahassee wins 10. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Long Beach to Tallahassee or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($709,700 vs $256,400 median home), income ($78,995 vs $52,899), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Long Beach, CA and Tallahassee, FL are about 1,989 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.