Best places to live in Southern California: compare Long Beach and the South Bay

Belmont Shore sits in southeast Long Beach beside Alamitos Bay, with Second Street and its side streets forming the business district. Naples is built on three islands in the bay, divided by canals. Both are in the City of Long Beach, which charges no city transfer tax, so a sale carries the county's $1.10 per $1,000. Parcels near the water raise their own questions: confirm usable garage space and street parking rules, and for Naples, any dock or water-access rights, insurance availability, and hazard disclosures.

California Heights is the city's largest historic district, with nearly 1,500 homes from the 1920s building boom, mostly Spanish Colonial Revival. Bixby Knolls lies north of the 405 Freeway around Atlantic Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, and many of its homes date from the 1920s to 1940s. With older detached housing, the first checks are whether an address is inside a historic district before planning exterior work, and the permit record for additions and updated systems.

Los Altos is in eastern Long Beach between Clark Avenue and Studebaker Road, north of Cal State Long Beach. East Long Beach is a broader search label rather than one defined neighborhood, so draw the actual map boundary you care about. In both, compare how original floor plans and later additions work together, and request the records for any added or converted space before counting it.

Downtown searches mostly involve condominium buildings, so the association is part of the purchase. Compare dues and what they cover, the reserve study, any approved or proposed assessments, assigned parking, and the lender's review of the specific project. Condo buildings with three or more units must also have wood-supported balconies and elevated walkways inspected under California law, and the seller provides the latest report.

Torrance is a separate city, and a sale carries only the county transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000. Searches are easier to compare when Old Torrance, North, South, and West Torrance, and Walteria are kept as separate map areas. Housing includes detached homes alongside condos and townhomes. One jurisdiction check matters here: some addresses with a Torrance mailing name are inside the City of Los Angeles, which has different tax rates and city records.

Gardena is a separate city with only the county transfer tax. Search corridors include Gardena Boulevard, Western Avenue, Rosecrans Avenue, and Artesia Boulevard. As in Torrance, some nearby addresses with a Gardena mailing name are in the City of Los Angeles, so confirm the parcel's city. A larger advertised floor plan may include an addition or garage conversion, which makes the permit record part of the size comparison.

Redondo Beach is one of five Los Angeles County cities with its own transfer tax: $2.20 per $1,000 on top of the county's $1.10, or $3.30 in total. The city also requires a Residential Building Report before any residential sale, with a $413 standard fee. Searches usually separate North Redondo from South Redondo, and the attached-home market runs from multilevel townhomes in small associations to condos in larger buildings, so check the ownership structure early.

Manhattan Beach is a separate city with only the county transfer tax, and it requires a Report of Residential Building Records before a residential sale. Buyers usually search by section: the Sand Section closest to the ocean, with walk streets and homes along The Strand; the Hill Section on steeper ground; the inland Tree Section; and East Manhattan Beach. Lot size, street access, and how much of a structure is original vary more than the section names suggest.

Hermosa Beach is a compact, separate city with only the county transfer tax. Its Residential Building Report became optional on January 1, 2026. Search areas include the Sand Section, North and South Hermosa, and east of Pacific Coast Highway. Because homes range from detached houses to units in small associations, compare lot width, alley or street access, stairs, and roof decks on the actual property.

San Pedro is part of the City of Los Angeles, not a separate city. A sale carries the county tax plus the City of Los Angeles tax, $5.60 per $1,000 in total, and Measure ULA applies to sales above $5.4 million. The seller must provide a City of Los Angeles Residential Property Report. Property questions start with Los Angeles planning and building records; search areas include Point Fermin, the Palisades, Vinegar Hill, and Rancho San Pedro.

Carson is a separate city with only the county transfer tax, and its pre-sale Residential Property Report requirement ended on September 20, 2019. Search corridors include Carson Street, Avalon Boulevard, Victoria Street, and Central Avenue. Listings include detached homes, attached homes, and manufactured homes, which have different ownership and financing details, so keep them in separate comparisons.

Lomita is a small, separate city between Torrance, Harbor City, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, with only the county transfer tax. Confirm that an address is actually inside Lomita, because nearby homes can share a mailing city with a different jurisdiction. Search corridors include Narbonne Avenue, Pacific Coast Highway, and Lomita Boulevard. Compare layout, garage and driveway access, and documented additions.

Lawndale is a separate city bordering Hawthorne, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, with only the county transfer tax. It requires a Residential Property Report, with a $240 fee and a parking inspection, when a home is listed and enters escrow. Search corridors include Hawthorne Boulevard, Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Inglewood Avenue, and Marine Avenue. Check legal bedrooms, parking, documented additions, and any second unit.

A Palos Verdes search crosses separate cities, including Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, and Rolling Hills Estates, each with only the county transfer tax and its own planning records. Compare parcels by usable lot, access, and condition, and check the specific city's records. A peninsula-wide price average cannot establish the value or suitability of a particular property.