Which is cheaper, Belmont Shore or Belmont Heights?

Belmont Heights is a little cheaper at the low end. In September 2026, its houses asked about $940,000 to $3.95 million and its condos about $460,000 to $700,000, while Belmont Shore houses asked about $1.09 million to $3.3 million.

Can you walk to the beach from Belmont Heights?

From the southern blocks, yes; from the top of the hill it's more of a bike ride. The Heights runs from 7th Street down toward Ocean Boulevard, and the ride down to the beach and Alamitos Bay is short. In Belmont Shore, the ocean beach is the neighborhood's south edge.

Is Belmont Heights quieter than Belmont Shore?

Yes. The Heights is mostly houses on shaded streets with fewer visitors. Belmont Shore gets weekend and evening crowds near Second Street. In the Heights, the busy roads are Broadway, 7th Street and Redondo Avenue at rush hour.

Is Belmont Shore more walkable than Belmont Heights?

Yes. Second Street's 14 blocks of restaurants, shops and gyms are within walking distance of most of Belmont Shore, and the blocks are short and flat. In the Heights you can walk to Broadway, 4th Street and Recreation Park, but there are fewer places to go.

Is Belmont Heights part of Belmont Shore?

No. They're separate neighborhoods next to each other. Belmont Heights sits on the rise above the Shore and was its own city from 1908 until Long Beach annexed it in 1909. Belmont Shore is the flat grid below it, between the ocean and Alamitos Bay.

Can you remodel a house in Belmont Heights?

Usually yes, with city review if it's in a historic district. Exterior changes there need a Certificate of Appropriateness, and second stories or additions over 250 square feet go to the Cultural Heritage Commission. Houses outside the two districts skip that step. In Belmont Shore, some addresses are in the California Coastal Zone, which can slow down a remodel permit.

Is parking hard in Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights?

Yes, in both. Many Belmont Shore bungalows have one alley space or none, and meters on Second Street cost $3 an hour from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Belmont Heights, many original homes have a one-car driveway or none. Confirm what parking comes with the house before you make an offer.

What schools serve Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights?

Long Beach Unified serves both. Nearby schools include Lowell Elementary for the Shore, Fremont Elementary for the Heights, and Rogers Middle School and Wilson High for both. Assignments go by address, so check yours in LBUSD's School Finder.

Are Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights in the same ZIP code?

Partly. Belmont Shore is in 90803. Belmont Heights uses 90814 north of about 4th Street and 90803 for the blocks toward Broadway and the beach; confirm a specific address with the Postal Service.

Which is closer to Downtown Long Beach, Belmont Shore or Belmont Heights?

Belmont Shore, by a few minutes. Downtown is about 10 to 15 minutes by car from the Shore and 12 to 18 from the Heights in light traffic, and the Shore also has the beach bike path and a free Thursday-to-Sunday shuttle to Downtown.

Belmont Shore vs Belmont Heights, Long Beach

Belmont Shore or Belmont Heights? The short answer.

Belmont Shore if you want the beach and Second Street at the end of your block; Belmont Heights if you want a quieter Craftsman street, Recreation Park up the road and prices that start a bit lower. The Shore is the flat grid between the ocean and Alamitos Bay, with mostly 1920s and 1930s Spanish-style cottages, duplexes and condos on narrow lots. The Heights sits on the rise above it. It was its own city from 1908 to 1909 and now has two historic districts and a neighborhood business strip on Broadway. In September 2026, houses asked about $1.09 million to $3.3 million in the Shore and about $940,000 to $3.95 million in the Heights. Parking is tight in both.

See them for yourself.

Tall homes with red tile roofs and white balconies on a bluff above a wide sandy beach, two people sitting on the sand — Belmont ShoreHomes above the sand near Belmont Pier on a sunny winter morning

A packed gravel path curving between native shrubs and the edge of the lagoon, with homes and trees in soft evening light — Belmont HeightsA walking path through native plants along Colorado Lagoon

A wet golden retriever standing in shallow surf with a yellow tennis ball in its mouth, a breaking wave behind it — Belmont ShoreA golden retriever with a ball in the surf at Rosie's Dog Beach in Belmont Shore

A white stucco band shell with a red tile roof, ornate blue trim and colorful tile panels, under a clear sky with trees behind — Belmont HeightsThe tiled band shell in Recreation Park, a Long Beach historic landmark

Calm, glassy bay water reaching a low seawall, with palm trees, beach homes and a waterfront street under a partly cloudy sky — Belmont ShoreCalm morning water on the bay side of Belmont Shore, with palms along the shore

Homes across the water at Colorado Lagoon near Belmont Heights, Long Beach — Belmont HeightsColorado Lagoon, an 18-acre saltwater lagoon with a swimming beach

Live from the MLS

Belmont Shore vs Belmont Heights by the numbers.

Belmont Shore asks 49% more than Belmont Heights.

Belmont Shore$960

Belmont Heights$764

$610Long Beach

Homes for sale in Belmont Shore are 2.2 times the size of those in Belmont Heights.

Belmont Shore2,533 sq ft

Belmont Heights1,173 sq ft

All of Long Beach1,156 sq ft

Listings in Belmont Shore have been on the market 57 days longer than in Belmont Heights.

The price scale and the gauge run from one end of the Long Beach neighborhoods we cover to the other. Each bar on the price per square foot card is one of them, lowest asking price first. Gray always marks the median for all of Long Beach. Right now Belmont Shore has 18 homes for sale and Belmont Heights has 26. Asking prices for homes on the market right now inside each mapped area, not sale prices.

Updated October 3, 2026, 7:00 PM PT

Which one fits you?

Belmont Shore 2Belmont Heights 6

Belmont Shore

Beach at the end of the street

The ocean beach runs along Belmont Shore's south edge, and Alamitos Bay is on its east side. From the Heights, the beach is a short ride downhill.

Belmont Shore

Walk to shops and dinner

Second Street's 14 blocks of restaurants, coffee, shops and gyms are within walking distance of most Shore blocks. The Heights has a smaller strip on Broadway east of Redondo and a few cafes on 4th Street, mostly for locals.

Belmont Heights

Quieter streets

The Heights is mostly houses on shaded, gently sloping streets, and it gets fewer visitors than the Shore. Belmont Shore gets crowded near Second Street on weekends and warm evenings.

Belmont Heights

Craftsman and historic homes

Craftsman bungalows make up about two-thirds of the Belmont Heights Historic District, and a second district, Eliot Lane, is a single block of 1923 cottages. The Shore's older houses are mostly 1920s and 1930s Spanish-style cottages, many remodeled or rebuilt.

Belmont Heights

Parks and green space

Recreation Park, 210.9 acres with golf, tennis and lawn bowling, is on the Heights' north side. Colorado Lagoon, with its small swimming beach, sits at the northeast edge, and the Greenbelt path runs through the neighborhood. The Shore's open space is the beach and the bay.

Belmont Heights

Lower entry price

In September 2026 Heights condos asked about $460,000 to $700,000 and houses started around $940,000. Belmont Shore houses started around $1.09 million.

Belmont Heights

Families who want a park nearby

Quiet streets, Recreation Park up the road and the swimming beach at Colorado Lagoon make the Heights the easier choice for families. Both are in Long Beach Unified, where schools are assigned by address.

Belmont Heights

Possible property tax savings

Houses in the Heights' historic districts can apply for a Mills Act contract, and the city says new owners usually see property tax cuts of 30% to 50%. The next application window opens in early January 2027.

Compare the details.

The concrete pilings and lamp posts of Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier over calm blue water, with sand in the foreground

Belmont Shore

Small old houses around Second Street, a few minutes' walk from flat water

Median asking $1.97M

See homes Read the Belmont Shore guide

Belmont Heights

Craftsman bungalows on the rise above Belmont Shore, with a local main street on Broadway

Median asking $1.33M

See homes Read the Belmont Heights guide

Homes and lots
	Belmont Shore	Belmont Heights
What it is	Flat beach neighborhood between the ocean and Alamitos Bay	Residential neighborhood on the rise between Belmont Shore and Recreation Park
Era of homes	Mostly 1920s and 1930s, plus contemporary rebuilds	Oldest from 1905; building peaked from 1918 to 1923
Signature house	Spanish-style cottage on a narrow lot, often with a patio instead of a yard	Craftsman bungalow with a low roof and a deep porch
Housing mix	Houses, many duplexes to fourplexes, condos near the bay	Houses, plus condos, duplexes to fourplexes and small apartment buildings outside the districts
House asking prices (Sept 2026)	About $1.09M to $3.3M; 2 to 4 units about $1.6M to $2.4M	About $940K to $3.95M; condos about $460K to $700K; 2 to 4 units about $1M to $2M

Daily life
	Belmont Shore	Belmont Heights
Main street	Second Street, 14 blocks through the middle	Broadway east of Redondo, plus cafes on 4th Street
Parking	Many bungalows have one alley space or none; meters on Second Street cost $3 an hour	Many original homes have a one-car driveway or none
Green space	The ocean beach, Alamitos Bay and Mother's Beach nearby	Recreation Park (210.9 acres), Colorado Lagoon and the Greenbelt
Nearby LBUSD schools	Lowell Elementary, Rogers Middle, Wilson High	Fremont Elementary, Rogers Middle, Wilson High

Rules and risks
	Belmont Shore	Belmont Heights
Remodel review	Parts are in the California Coastal Zone; check by address	Two historic districts; exterior work there needs a Certificate of Appropriateness

Daily life in the Shore and the Heights

They're next door to each other, but the Shore is a lot busier.

A dense bed of white begonias, pink and red blooms, yellow marigolds and a calla lily below a window with blue shutters — Photo: Tracie Hall (Flickr: tracie7779), CC BY-SA 2.0

Belmont Shore is the flat grid between the ocean and Alamitos Bay, with Second Street down the middle. Plenty of people paddle the bay before work and walk to dinner after. Weekday mornings are calm; weekends and warm evenings are busy, and the side streets go quiet within a block of Second Street.

Belmont Heights sits on the rise above it, roughly from Redondo Avenue east to Nieto Avenue and from 7th Street down toward Ocean Boulevard. It's mostly houses on shaded, gently sloping streets, with a business strip on Broadway east of Redondo that serves weeknight regulars more than visitors. It was its own city for a year, incorporated in 1908 and annexed to Long Beach in 1909. Most people just call it the Heights.

In the Shore you can walk to the sand and to Second Street, and the crowds come with them. In the Heights, the street is quieter and Recreation Park is close, but you'd bike to the beach rather than walk.

Spanish cottages or Craftsman bungalows

What the houses look like and what sellers were asking in September 2026.

Silhouetted palm trees against a sky fading from deep blue to orange over the ocean, with ships on the horizon and a dark beach — Photo: Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0

The Shore's side streets are mostly 1920s and 1930s Spanish-style cottages and bungalows on narrow lots, many remodeled or rebuilt, with duplexes and small apartment buildings on most blocks. In the Heights the oldest houses date to 1905 and building peaked between 1918 and 1923. Craftsman bungalows make up about two-thirds of its main historic district, with Victorian, Mission Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival houses mixed in.

In September 2026, Belmont Shore houses asked about $1.09 million to $3.3 million and two- to four-unit buildings about $1.6 million to $2.4 million. Belmont Heights houses asked about $940,000 to $3.95 million, condos about $460,000 to $700,000, and duplexes to fourplexes about $1 million to $2 million. Only four houses were listed in all of Belmont Heights that month, so expect competition for a well-kept bungalow at the right price.

In both neighborhoods, condition moves the price as much as size does: updated systems, permitted additions and off-street parking. In the Heights, original Craftsman details help too. I'd price either one off recent sales on the same few blocks.

Belmont Shore houses: about $1.09M to $3.3M (Sept 2026)
Belmont Heights houses: about $940K to $3.95M; condos about $460K to $700K
Houses rarely come up in the Heights; four were listed in September 2026

Historic districts, coastal permits and parking

What to check in either neighborhood before you make an offer.

A wide residential avenue lined with tall palm trees and green lawns, with cars parked along the curbs on a sunny afternoon — Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Heights has two city historic districts: the Belmont Heights Historic District (2002), covering 4th to 7th streets between Newport and Roswell avenues, and the one-block Eliot Lane Historic District (2003). Inside them, any exterior change needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, even work that doesn't need a building permit. Additions under 250 square feet, ADUs and solar are handled by city staff; second stories and larger additions go to the Cultural Heritage Commission. The upside is the Mills Act, which the city says usually cuts new owners' property tax by 30% to 50%.

In the Shore, parts of the neighborhood fall in FEMA flood zones and the California Coastal Zone, which can show up in your insurance bill and in how long a remodel permit takes. If you're looking at a condo near the bay, read the HOA documents closely: dues, reserves and rental rules.

Parking is tight in both. Many Shore bungalows have one space off an alley or none, and many original Heights homes have a one-car driveway or none. Ask exactly what off-street parking comes with the house. In the Heights, if the house is near Broadway, 7th Street or Redondo, drive by at rush hour first.

Heights historic districts: Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior work
Mills Act: next application window opens in early January 2027
Shore: check the flood zone and Coastal Zone by address

Getting around and schools

The Shore is flat with short blocks. The beach bike path goes west to Downtown, and from Thursday to Sunday a free electric shuttle runs between the Shore and Downtown. From the Heights, you can walk to Broadway, 4th Street and Recreation Park and bike down to the water.

By car, Downtown Long Beach is about 10 to 15 minutes from the Shore and 12 to 18 from the Heights in light traffic. LAX is usually 25 to 40 minutes from the Shore and 30 to 45 from the Heights. Most households in both keep a car for bigger trips.

Both are in Long Beach Unified. Nearby schools for the Shore include Lowell Elementary, Rogers Middle School and Wilson High; for the Heights, Fremont Elementary, Rogers Middle School and Wilson High. Assignments go by address, so check yours in LBUSD's School Finder.

Homes for sale in Belmont Shore

18 active listings in the mapped area

15 days on market

$1,250,000

Single-Family2 bd1 ba906 sqft

131 Santa Ana

29 days on market

$1,999,000

Single-Family4 bd4 ba2,438 sqft

Single-Family4 bd3 ba3,000 sqft

Single-Family3 bd2 ba1,600 sqft

Multi-Family9 bd8 ba5,361 sqft

Mixed Use4 bd5 ba2,628 sqft

4401 Division

View all 18 homes on the live map

Still deciding? Ask me.

I’m a Realtor right here in Long Beach and I know it inside out. Buying or selling, tell me what you’re after and I’ll help you get there.

Call (424) 400-9003

Slava Ploshkin · DRE #02323623English and Russian · How I work in Long Beach

Homes for sale in Belmont Heights

26 active listings in the mapped area

Single-Family3 bd2 ba1,629 sqft

345 Park Avenue

Just listed

$1,025,000

Single-Family2 bd1 ba949 sqft

4500 E Barker Way

Just listed

$1,599,000

Single-Family2 bd2 ba1,944 sqft

239 Euclid Avenue

Just listed

$1,325,000

Single-Family2 bd2 ba1,159 sqft

4637 E Colorado Street

9 days on market

$599,900

Condo2 bd2 ba1,044 sqft

384 Redondo Avenue 401

9 days on market

$1,098,000

Townhouse2 bd3 ba1,526 sqft

20 38Th Place 26

9 days on market

$939,000

Single-Family1 bd1 ba871 sqft

377 Ximeno Avenue

10 days on market

$1,599,000

Single-Family3 bd3 ba2,104 sqft

4040 E 6th

16 days on market

$3,950,000

Single-Family4 bd4 ba3,950 sqft

293 Saint Joseph Avenue

28 days on market

$519,000

Condo1 bd1 ba697 sqft

3707 E Livingston 306

Condo2 bd2 ba1,206 sqft

View all 26 homes on the live map

Questions & answers

Belmont Heights, for most families. The streets are quieter, Recreation Park is close and Colorado Lagoon has a small swimming beach. In Belmont Shore you can walk to the ocean and Second Street, but it's busier on weekends. Both have small lots and tight parking.