This is our August 2026 report covering July 2026 rental data for Long Beach, CA.
Long Beach draws a mixed renter pool: CSULB students and young creatives along the coast, families anchored near El Dorado Park's top-rated schools, and professionals who want beach-city living with a commutable shot at downtown Los Angeles without paying downtown prices. This report breaks down current rents, days on market, and what's moving the Long Beach rental market in July 2026, so you can price smarter and lease faster.
Long Beach Rental Market Snapshot — July 2026
Here's where Long Beach rents landed in July 2026, across all property types — apartments, condos, townhomes, and single-family homes.
Long Beach's median rent sat at $2,026 in July 2026, down 0.93% year-over-year, with homes averaging 76 days on market. Rents have essentially plateaued month-over-month (+0.07%), which means landlords pricing above market right now are likely watching their vacancies stretch, not fill.
| Metric | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Median Rent (All Types, Long Beach) | $2,026 | +0.1% MoM |
| Avg. Days on Market | 76 days | — |
| Rent Growth YoY | -0.9% | — |
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all rental property types in Long Beach, CA, July 2026.
What's Driving Long Beach Rental Market Conditions Right Now
Long Beach Rental Supply & New Construction
Long Beach's construction pipeline has accelerated sharply, and the bulk of new supply is clustering downtown and along major transit corridors — areas where multifamily zoning is densest and where renters seeking walkable, amenity-rich living tend to concentrate. The city approved over 5,200 units between 2023 and the end of 2025, a 147% jump over the prior three-year cycle, with housing starts climbing from 703 in 2021 to 1,704 in 2024. ADU production is running alongside that multifamily wave: Long Beach hit a city record of 747 ADU permits in 2024, which means infill supply is spreading into established residential neighborhoods, not just concentrated in large projects. If your property sits downtown or near a major transit corridor, you're competing against a growing stock of newer units; owners of single-family homes and ADUs in quieter residential pockets face comparatively less direct pressure from new construction.
Why People Rent in Long Beach
Long Beach draws renters who want Los Angeles-area access without paying Los Angeles prices, the Port of Long Beach and Long Beach Airport anchor a large local job base in logistics, trade, and aviation, while the I-710 freeway and Metro A Line keep downtown Los Angeles commutable for renters who work there but can't afford to live there. California State University Long Beach (CSULB), one of the largest universities in the Cal State system, generates steady tenant demand from students, faculty, and staff year-round. A less obvious but growing tailwind: Redfin agents report renters actively relocating from high-fire-risk foothill and canyon communities toward flat coastal cities like Long Beach, which is being positioned as a safer, more value-driven alternative, and with Long Beach set to host events for both the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, that profile is only rising.
Long Beach Rental Market Outlook
Long Beach rents are soft but stabilizing. The city-level blended median rent stood at $2,026 in July 2026, down 0.93% year-over-year but essentially flat month-over-month, up just 0.07%. Homes averaged 76 days on market in July, which is a long leasing cycle and signals that tenants are negotiating carefully rather than rushing to sign. Summer is historically the strongest leasing season, and with peak demand now winding down heading into fall, landlords with vacant units should price to move now rather than wait. AB 1482 caps rent increases at 8% for covered properties through July 31, 2026, so know your compliance ceiling before you reprice a renewal. Watch downtown and transit-corridor listings closely over the next 12 months, as the Trammell Crow and JPI pipeline units come online, that submarket will absorb additional supply and could push concessions higher in those corridors, while owners in established residential neighborhoods may see tighter conditions hold.
Where Rental Demand Concentrates in Long Beach — July 2026
Rental demand in Long Beach clusters around a handful of anchors that each attract a distinct renter profile. Along the 2nd Street corridor, Belmont Shore draws renters who prioritize walkable beach access paired with a dense dining-and-retail streetscape; these tend to be working professionals and couples willing to pay a coastal premium for a car-light lifestyle. Just north of there, Alamitos Beach pulls students and younger renters from California State University Long Beach (CSULB) who want affordable coastal proximity without committing to on-campus housing. East Village concentrates creatives and young professionals through its gallery-and-coffee-shop corridor, and I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) access keeps downtown Los Angeles commutable, which matters for renters priced out of closer-in neighborhoods.
Farther north along Atlantic Avenue, Bixby Knolls attracts families and established young professionals through its tree-lined Craftsman bungalow blocks and connections to the Long Beach Transit System and major highway corridors. El Dorado Park rounds out the family demand picture: Newcomb Academy, a highly rated school within the neighborhood, pulls households with school-age children, and the area's proximity to Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos brings a consistent stream of military families into the rental pool. Across all five neighborhoods, the common thread is specificity of amenity, whether a university, a freeway, a named school, or a walkable retail strip. That specificity is exactly what keeps vacancy lower and tenant quality higher in concentrated pockets while the broader Long Beach market absorbs a 5.87% year-over-year rent decline.
Long Beach Rent by Bedroom Count — July 2026
Long Beach single-family rents scale predictably by size, but the dollar jumps are not equal across tiers. The step from a 2-bedroom ($2,407) to a 3-bedroom ($3,322) adds $915 per month, a 38% increase for one additional bedroom. The move from 3-bedroom to 4-bedroom adds another $1,346, bringing the top of the range to $4,668, a 41% premium over the 3-bedroom tier. Families targeting neighborhoods like Bixby Knolls or El Dorado Park, where space and school quality matter, are likely driving demand at that upper end, but at $4,668, those larger homes need to be priced precisely to avoid sitting in a market where 76-day average lease-up times are already the norm.
| Bedrooms | SFR Median Rent |
|---|---|
| 2-Bedroom | $2,407 |
| 3-Bedroom | $3,322 |
| 4-Bedroom | $4,668 |
| Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, single-family properties, July 2026. |
Where to Rent in Long Beach by Property Type — July 2026
Where to Rent a Single-Family Home in Long Beach
Single-family rentals in Long Beach cluster in Bixby Knolls and El Dorado Park, and both neighborhoods draw renters for distinct reasons. Bixby Knolls, about 15 minutes north of Downtown along Atlantic Avenue, attracts families and young professionals with its Craftsman bungalows, tree-lined streets, and quick access to major highways and the Long Beach Transit System. El Dorado Park pulls families specifically chasing school quality: Newcomb Academy is a consistent draw, and the neighborhood's proximity to Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos makes it a go-to for military households who need both school access and base commutability.
Where to Rent an Apartment or Condo in Long Beach
Apartments and condos concentrate along Belmont Shore's 2nd Street corridor, in Alamitos Beach, and in the East Village arts district. Belmont Shore draws renters who want walkable beach access paired with a dense dining-and-retail streetscape, while Alamitos Beach offers a more affordable coastal entry point that pulls students and younger renters from California State University Long Beach (CSULB) seeking proximity to campus without paying a premium. East Village serves creatives and young professionals who want a gallery-and-coffee-shop corridor with a practical upside: direct I-710 (Long Beach Freeway) access keeps downtown Los Angeles commutable at a price point well below what downtown Long Beach commands.
Data Sources & Methodology
- Rental market data: Median rents, days on market, listing counts, and rent change figures. Sourced from county public records, deed and tax assessor data, and rental listings on publicly accessible platforms.
- Doorstead Platform Data: Internal leasing outcomes from Doorstead-managed single-family homes, including days to lease. Long Beach, CA, trailing 12 months.
Data refreshed monthly. Doorstead benchmarks reflect managed properties only and may not be representative of the broader Long Beach, CA rental market.