City comparison
Fresno, CA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Long Beach, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Fresno, CA to Long Beach, CA takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Fresno has a population of 541,528, vs 462,293 in Long Beach — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Fresno covers about 115 sq mi vs 51 sq mi for Long Beach.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Fresno | Long Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,227/mo | $1,698/mo | 38.4% higher in Long Beach |
| Median home value | $321,800 | $709,700 | 120.5% higher in Long Beach |
| Median household income | $63,001 | $78,995 | 25.4% higher in Long Beach |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 106.4 | 1.3% higher in Long Beach |
| Utilities index | 157.8 | 151.7 | 4.0% higher in Fresno |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.0 | 3.3% higher in Long Beach |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.3 | 3.7% higher in Long Beach |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Fresno, you'd need $129,645 in Long Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fresno, CA is about 22.9% cheaper overall than Long Beach, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 74% higher in Long Beach than in Fresno. If you earn $80,000 in Fresno, you'd need about $103,716 in Long Beach to keep the same standard of living.