2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Long Beach, CA vs Merced, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Merced older or younger than people in Long Beach?
- The Median Age in Merced is 6.3 years younger than in Long Beach.

Are housing costs cheaper in Merced or Long Beach?
- Merced housing costs are 49.6% less expensive than Long Beach housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Merced or Long Beach?
- The average commute for residents of Merced is 6.8 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Long Beach.

Things to do in Long Beach?
Long Beach, California makes for an ideal destination for beach lovers, boasting miles of gorgeous coastline. Visitors can spend the day in the sand or enjoy a variety of outdoor activities like kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. The city also offers numerous cultural attractions such as the Long Beach Museum of Art and aquarium, plus plenty of shopping destinations downtown and along Shoreline Drive. In addition to its beaches, Long Beach has a lively nightlife filled with bars and clubs, making it a great choice for those who want to experience all that this vibrant city has to offer.

Things to do in Merced?
Merced, California is a mid-sized city located in Central Valley known for its proximity to Yosemite National Park or Lake Yosemite making it an ideal spot for outdoor recreation.

 Long Beach, CAMerced, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock85,993329,725,481
 Median Income$71,150  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock29.638.4
 Avg. Home Price$739,900  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock9.3%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time30.36  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Long Beach    45 Reviews

Local born and bred. This place is going down the drain. Crime is up, housing is up, yuppies finding nothing wrong with it since they want to validate spending 3k on a 2  More

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Angelique · 
Over 5 years ago

I love Long Beach. I especially shoreline village and the aquarium of the pacific. The only big problem here (for me) is crime. Otherwise, nice  More

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Over 7 years ago

The cost of living is extremely high and there are way too many apartments or multi unit homes which have no parking. But with everyone living on top of each other it  More

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Reviews for Merced    44 Reviews

Merced is totally slept on - you want a little bit of everything CA has to offer, at a fraction of the price of other CA cities? Merced is the place to go. The town  More

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Over 5 years ago

Good place to live. More affordable than most of california. The city is growing and there is alot of business and growth here. Moved from the Bay area years ago and  More

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Great place to live. Lots of progress and changes coming to the city. Great place to raise a family. UC Merced is expanding and businesses are investing. Downtown is  More

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