While L.A. has a reputation for being an early-to-bed kind of town, there are many late-night spots (as in open after 11 p.m.) — if you know where to look for them. We've put together a comprehensive guide, by neighborhood, so that wherever you are when the hunger pangs strike, there's somewhere to head.
Why it matters: Because when you stumble out of the party, or bar, or concert, (or yes, even after the late shift), eating a convenience store hot dog just doesn't cut it.
Why now: Our last guide to L.A.'s late-night eateries stretches back to pre-pandemic times. A lot has changed since then, especially in the restaurant scene, so we figured it was time to bring everything up to date.
If you’re here, chances are you’re hungry, it’s late, and the clock is ticking. On the upside, traffic isn’t bad this time of night. On the downside, Los Angeles isn’t always known for late-night options unless you know where to go.
For those in the throes of a late-night food mission, let us guide you.
We’ve rounded up a list of (almost) all the late-night restaurants in the city. We skipped the major chains and fast food and decided anything before 11 p.m. isn’t truly late night.
During the pandemic, our city suffered significant restaurant closures. Nearly 100 restaurants from the last iteration of this list (2019) have closed. But while we’ve lost icons like Pacific Dining Car entirely, and Oki Dog now closes at 9 p.m., new spots have popped up in their absence.
One has a one-pound meatball, and another is a drive-thru pizza joint on the Sunset Strip. Koreatown still reigns supreme for late-night eats and adventures, but there’s a new upscale food court smack dab in DTLA.
Read on and bon appetit!
Koreatown, Mid-City, Pico-Union Nobody does late night eats like Koreatown. This bustling, self contained neighborhood has more 24-hour spots per square foot than anywhere else in town.
The obvious choice is Korean cuisine, whether it’s bubbling vegetarian hot pot from BCD Tofu House, street food inspired skewers in a graffitied booth at Dang Sung Sa, or K-fried chicken in a red restaurant that you’ve seen in New Girl.
But if you’re not feeling Korean food, the late night Korean spirit is awake at LOVE HOUR, a once beloved food truck with its own smashburger brick and mortar. While you’re there — don’t skip the elaborate cocktail menu or old school photo booth.
Address: 3470 W. 6th St., #6, Los Angeles, CA 90020 Closing time: Mon to Fri: 11 p.m., Sat/Sun: 1 a.m.
Bob's Big Boy in Burbank
(
Chava Sanchez
/
LAist
)
San Fernando Valley
Don’t call the San Fernando Valley a sleepy suburb. Where it lacks in nightlife options, it’s robust in nighttime food. There’s an array of old school diners, from David Lynch’s favorite Bob’s Big Boy to Mel’s Drive In. For juicy shawarma, try Sincerely Syria, regarded as some of the best Middle Eastern food in the city.
Craving a nostalgic and filling loaded baked potato? While enjoying a jazz performance? This unusual combination is only at The Baked Potato — a jazz club that’s been holding it down for over 50 years with more than a dozen topping combinations. Appetizers and small plates galore both high end (Bacari) and down home (Barney’s Beanery) are available late night for when choosing just one entree seems unfair.
Address: 150 S. San Fernando Blvd. #20, Burbank, CA 91502 Closing time: Mon to Fri: 12 a.m., Sat/Sun:1 a.m.
San Gabriel Valley
Any L.A. foodie knows SGV is heaven for Asian cuisine, and that doesn’t stop at 9 p.m. Grill your own KBBQ at King Charcoal BBQ or no frills fried rice at Phoenix Inn. But the diverse valley has plenty of taco options for just a few bucks each, and some of the city’s favorite pastrami in an unassuming corner stand. Take yours piping hot and freshly sliced in a sandwich or on fries at The Hat.
Address: 306 N. Garfield Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91754 Closing time: Mon to Thurs: 3 a.m., Fri/Sat: 4 a.m. Sun: 12 a.m.
A trio of sausages from Wurstküche
(
Elise Thompson/LAist
)
DTLA
The concert has ended, the club is winding down, you’re downtown, what’s next? In most cities, “downtown” is the epicenter of it all, but Angelenos know our city works a little differently. Nevertheless, from the Historic Core to Little Tokyo to the Arts District, there’s options.
Keep it old school with a french dip at the counter of the over-100-year-old Cole’s (They claim to have invented the sandwich!) . Or give the new Downtown a shot at Level 8, a food and beverage mecca inside the Moxy hotel with Vegas-level immersive, Instagrammable dining, including tacos and shabu shabu open late. If you want to keep it simple, in true L.A. fashion, there are plenty of casual tacos in the area, too.
Address: 800 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 Closing time: Sun to Thurs: 12 a.m., Fri/Sat: 1 a.m.
Mel's Drive-in
(
Photo by LaTur via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
)
Hollywood
In Hollywood, sometimes the real party is wherever you grab food after. If you’re looking to see, be seen, and keep the party going, Grandmaster Recorders, inside the same building where David Bowie and the Red Hot Chili Peppers once recorded hits, serves Italian inspired bites till 2 a.m. Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine attracts clubgoers and even your favorite rappers who want to soak up the tequila sodas with rich fettuccine alfredo and beans and rice plates. Vegans and meat eaters can indulge at Doomie’s Home Cookin’, an entirely plant-based diner serving comfort food favorites and elaborate house-made desserts.
Address: 5657 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 Closing time: 12 a.m.
Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles
(
Photo by Melissa Acedera via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
)
Long Beach
Taco lovers are lucky with the array of options in Long Beach open late. Tacos Super Gallito has grilled meats, fried fish, fries and aguas frescas at their truck. For dine-in, despite its name, Los Tres Cochinitos serves both meat and mariscos, plus micheladas. While many other locations around town now close too early for this list, the original Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, which opened in 1975 in Long Beach, serves its namesake till midnight.
Address: 225 W. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA 90813 Closing time: 11 p.m.
South Bay
If you’re craving a burger, the South Bay is your oyster — no fast food chains required. Opt for quick and casual at Louis Burgers IV or Fabulous Charbroiled Burgers. Do it up at The Kettle, a diner that uses farmer’s market ingredients. You can get classic pad thai until 2 a.m. at Subhannahong or get quirky with their fusion laab tacos. Like the rest of town, there are late-night pizza and ramen options, too.
Address: 1644 W. Carson St., Torrance, CA 90501 Closing time: 11 p.m.
South L.A.
If you’re in South L.A., we can practically guarantee you’re less than 10 minutes from a King Taco, Tacos Gavilan, or Tacos El Unico. If you want pancakes while your BFF wants a full Thanksgiving dinner plate, there’s art deco legend Norm’s diner running 24 hours too. Mom-and-pop joints like Jim’s Super Burger and Louis Burger II are reliable and greasy in the right way. If you’re feeling bougie (we won’t tell), there’s yet another Bacari in this neck of the woods.
Address: 9901 Long Beach Blvd., Lynwood, CA 90262 Closing time: 11 p.m.
The Eastside
(Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Los Feliz, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Cypress Park, Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights, East L.A.)
Mexican food reigns supreme on the Eastside, whether it’s a big plate of enchiladas and a flaming margarita at El Compadre or bubbling, counter-service carnitas from Carnitas Michoacan. For those who want to split a slice of pie and chat into the wee closing hours of the night, Fred 62 has a robust menu with unusual diner options like falafel and familiar favorites, while House of Pies keeps it classic with old school prices, too. Locals know that Red Lion Tavern, a German-style bar, is best known for its wings.
Address: 4738 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90042 Closing time: 11 p.m.
West Hollywood
Got a hot date, but work ran late? West Hollywood is your best bet for high end, table service dinners at European hours. Your Instagram explore page has probably familiarized you with seafood spot CATCH, but newer LAVO Ristorante has a 1 pound meatball on the menu that is just as selfie-worthy and indulgent.
If you can manage to get a last minute table, old school red sauce joint Dan Tana’s will make anyone feel like a regular with service from seasoned waiters in tuxedos. Reality TV lovers may mourn the closing of PUMP, but Vanderpump Rules affiliate Tom Tom is now open. Those not looking to break the bank can go Tokyo mode and slurp ramen at Tatsu after the bars close, eat a hot dog in an old train car at Carneys, or spend under $10 for New York City export Prince Street Pizza (be warned, they don’t serve ranch).
Canter's Deli on Fairfax
(
Photo by Chris_Lott via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Address: 8684 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069 Closing time: Sun to Thurs: 12 a.m., Fri/Sat: 1 a.m.
Mel's Drive-in on Sunset
(
Photo by LaTur via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr.
)
Westside
Whether you’re a student, a surfer, or just lucky enough to spend a night by the beach, the Westside has plenty of affordable options for a late night bite and a few sit-in restaurants that keep the doors open.
Gorge on a giant sandwich from Fat Sal’s or Johnnie’s Pastrami or ramen from Daikokuya’s west side outpost. For a full restaurant experience, grab a dimly lit booth at La Cabaña for tamales and chile rellanos or head over to sailor themed The Galley for not-too-expensive steaks. Those from the 310 will suggest a hickory burger from West LA institution The Apple Pan. The extremely experienced will remind you to leave room for banana cream pie.
Address: 1440 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291 Closing time: Sun to Wed: 12 a.m., Thurs to Sat: 1 a.m.
Restaurants that have closed since our 2019 guide
DTLA: Comfort LA, Coronados, Lupetti Pizzeria, Mezcalero, Pacific Dining Car, Suehiro Cafe, The Little Easy, The Pantry-TomGeorge, Wangs Tavern
Hollywood: 101 Coffee Shop, El Gran Burrito, Kitchen 24, Shin Ramen, Snow White Cafe, The Sit Down, Velvet Margarita, Yogi Dog
Koreatown: Beer Belly, Chadolpoong, Golden Pig, Kang Ho, Dong Baekjeong, KyoChon, Mountain Cafe, Nan Wok House, Plato, Red Pig, Secret IZT, Shuto Izakaya, Shin Jung, Star Night, Spare Tire Kitchen & Tavern, Stone Grill BBQ, Ten Ramen, Tengoku Ramen Bar, Touhmi, Won Jo Kokerang Agurang
Long Beach: Bangkok Blvd Restaurant, Cha2O, La Frida, SongHak
San Fernando Valley: Conrads- Dos Burritos- Harry's Family Restaurant- L'Ambiance Cafe- Nostal Cafe- Rock'n Pies, Trap Fried Chicken, Jerrys Deli
San Gabriel Valley: Altadena Wine & Ale House, Happy Kitchen, NYC Seafood, Tasty Garden
South Bay: Moshi Moshi Mambo, Ryo Zan Paku
South L.A.: Aldewaniah, Diana's Las Playas, El Oaxaco Taqueria y Antojitos Oaxaqueños, Tacos El Sinaloense
The Eastside: Electric Lotus Kitchen of India, Xelas, La India Bonita
West Hollywood: 8oz. Poke, Croft Alley at the Standard, Eveleigh, Greenblatt's, ISA Japanese, Kitchen 24, Michael's Pizza, Oki Dog, One80 Pizzeria, Pearl's Rooftop, Pink Taco, Plancha Tacos, Pump, Rock House Sliders, Saint Felix, Spare Tire, Sweet Chick, The 3rd Stop, The Hudson, The Pikey, The Sunset Trocadero, Toca Madera
Westside: Gabes Bar and Grill, Go Japanese Izakaya, Habibi Cafe, Izzy's Deli, James' Beach, Không Tên, Pacific Dining Car, Pho Shop-Plancha Tacos, Tasty Wok Cuisine, Swingers
Yusra Farzan
reports on issues affecting current and future college students, their families and communities.
Published November 2, 2026 5:00 AM
California Faculty Association members and supporters rally at Cal State Long Beach on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.
(
Yusra Farzan
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The union that represents 29,000 faculty members is asking its members to authorize a strike after negotiations with California State University reached an impasse. Members have till November 19 to vote. The California Faculty Association last went on strike in January 2024.
Why are we back here: While the union seeks pay raises, members say this negotiation is also about all the ways higher education has changed since they won their last contract: That includes provisions guaranteeing academic freedom — in the face of pressure from the Trump administration over DEI and and artificial intelligence guardrails.
“This is the boldest proposal we've had as a bargaining team, as a union,” said Elaine Villanueva Bernal, who teaches chemistry at Cal State Long Beach and also serves on the bargaining team.
They said the union is fighting for members to decide whether or not to use artificial intelligence and to “not to be replaced with AI, for our work not to be evaluated by AI.”
CSU's position: In an emailed statement, Amy Bentley-Smith, a spokesperson for the university system, said CSU has reached agreements with four other unions “demonstrating that meaningful agreements can be achieved through collective bargaining.”
“We believe that continued negotiations, rather than a strike, offer the best path toward reaching a fair and sustainable agreement with CFA. Our priority remains supporting our faculty, serving our students and avoiding unnecessary disruption to their education,” she said.
The union that represents 29,000 faculty members is asking its members to authorize a strike after negotiations with California State University reached an impasse. Members have till November 19 to vote.
The California Faculty Association last went on strike in January 2024.
Now they are back at the bargaining table. While the union seeks pay raises, members say this negotiation is also about all the ways higher education has changed since they won their last contract: That includes provisions guaranteeing academic freedom — in the face of pressure from the Trump administration over DEI and and artificial intelligence guardrails.
“This is the boldest proposal we've had as a bargaining team, as a union,” said Elaine Villanueva Bernal, who teaches chemistry at Cal State Long Beach and also serves on the bargaining team.
She and other members of the union rallied this past week in support of the authorization vote, one of many such demonstrations across the state.
They said the union is fighting for members to decide whether or not to use artificial intelligence and to “not to be replaced with AI, for our work not to be evaluated by AI.”
Even if the vote passes, that doesn’t mean a strike will happen; contract talks can still continue.
Elaine Villanueva Bernal teaches chemistry at Cal State Long Beach and serves on the CFA bargaining team.
(
Yusra Farzan
/
LAist
)
In an emailed statement, Amy Bentley-Smith, a spokesperson for the university system, said CSU has reached agreements with four other unions “demonstrating that meaningful agreements can be achieved through collective bargaining.”
“We believe that continued negotiations, rather than a strike, offer the best path toward reaching a fair and sustainable agreement with CFA. Our priority remains supporting our faculty, serving our students and avoiding unnecessary disruption to their education,” she said.
Why is another strike possible?
In January 2024, faculty members went on strike across the state, disrupting classes for around 500,000 students. The strike lasted one day — to the disbelief of many union members.
“The last contract sucked. The union caved after one day. We had all the momentum of faculty here and a lot of support to keep the strike going,” said Helen Hood Scheer, a cinematic arts professor at Cal State Long Beach. “However, I will say that at some of the other CSUs that are not as healthy as we are, I think some other people felt like it was a good contract.”
Helen Hood Scheer and her friend came out to a rally in Cal State Long Beach to signal their support for a strike authorization vote after negotiations between the California Faculty Association and CSU reached an impasse.
(
Yusra Farzan
/
LAist
)
She said she drove over an hour on a day she does not have to teach to be on campus for the rally to “let the chancellor know that we’re serious.” Hood Scheer said some professors are living below the poverty line, while CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia makes close to $1 million annually.
Lily Housepeters, an associate professor of geography at Cal State Long Beach and vice president of the CFA Long Beach chapter, said the bargaining team has made changes because some members were ready to strike longer and were disappointed with some of the contract gains.
“This time around, we have a much more inclusive bargaining team. We've expanded our bargaining team. We have members of our bargaining team from every single campus,” she said.
The impact of the Trump administration on faculty
The landscape of higher education has also changed since the last contract.
“ We should be able to teach the classes that we need to teach, that we want to teach, that students actually demand, without government or political interference,” said Melissa Hidalgo, a lecturer in women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Cal State Long Beach. “When your federal government tries to tell you that certain subjects are off the table now because they don't like them, when you can't talk about things like gender and race anymore, when we start to have directives coming from the top down, this is how we know that our, our academic freedom is under attack.”
CFA members and supporters rally in support of a strike authorization vote after negotiations between the union and CSU reached an impasse.
(
Yusra Farzan
/
LAist
)
Deborah Ham, a retired education professor, came out to support the rally on Tuesday at CSU Long Beach. As someone who has taught for over 35 years, Ham said, the attacks on education are nothing like she’s seen before.
“I feel an attack on our work, on our way of life, on our way of believing, on our humanity, and it's very, very painful. As someone who taught children and English as a second language to immigrants, to see the attack on everyone is just Nazism,” she said. “It just is frightening to me, and I don't like seeing this in my community. And so that's another reason why I am here, to protect our community.”
Ronald Loewe, a professor of anthropology said academic freedom protections are important because he has seen pushback on faculty and students who have spoken out in support of Palestinian rights.
At rallies including the one on campus on Tuesday, faculty members use amplified sound and it’s something that has been done for years, he said. But, during a protest in support of Palestinian rights, ”five faculty members were sanctioned for using amplified sound. There's been a lot of attempts to kind of pick on faculty members and students who've spoken out in favor of Palestine or have been critical of Israel.”
A spokesperson for Cal State Long Beach told LAist no faculty member has been disciplined for taking part in actions related to Palestinian advocacy.
Have something to say?
A board of trustees is responsible for rules and policies adopted across the California State University system. Have a concern? Contact them.
Loewe also wants to see strong artificial intelligence guardrails in the new contract.
“I think that the university has really excluded us from having kind of any input or any say in the development of artificial intelligence on campus. It's affecting our teaching, it's affecting student learning, and it's making people stupid,” he said.
”We also see lots of other spending throughout the CSU that we would argue is wasteful or is not in priority with faculty working conditions, which are student learning conditions,” Housepeters said.
During the recent heat waves that pummeled Southern California, for instance, she said some faculty had to work in offices without air conditioning where temperatures hit over 90 degrees.
The union, Housepeters said, is also fighting for improved working conditions and reducing workload for some faculty members. She said the union wants “ a transformational contract where tenure-track faculty would receive more time for research, and our lecturer faculty would receive more time for service because currently all of their service is uncompensated.”
Some students are joining the rallies
Joining the faculty members in support of their fight for a new contract were students Christina Henry and Zack Medway.
Henry, who is studying history, said she hoped to become a professor one day.
“I think it's important that our professors get a living wage. They do so much to set us up for our future careers. Their career should be rewarding for them as well,” she said.
“ If we truly want to value education as a country,” said Medway, a graduate student, “we need to honor and respect the people who do the work and the people who do the learning, and know that learning is uncomfortable and necessary.”
Consumers who buy Affordable Care Act health insurance are going to see changes both big and small as open enrollment for 2027 coverage kicks off. These include premium increases, possible additional identity checks, potential delays in working with a broker and new limits on which immigrants can get subsidies.
Why now: Open enrollment starts Nov. 1 in most states. Idaho, Connecticut and Massachusetts started earlier, and some states have been allowing "window shopping" to check premium rates.
Read on ... for tips on how to plan accordingly.
Consumers who buy Affordable Care Act health insurance are going to see changes both big and small as open enrollment for 2027 coverage kicks off. These include premium increases, possible additional identity checks, potential delays in working with a broker and new limits on which immigrants can get subsidies.
Shoppers need to plan accordingly.
Open enrollment starts Nov. 1 in most states. Idaho, Connecticut, and Massachusetts started earlier, and some states have been allowing "window shopping" to check premium rates.
A continued decline in overall enrollment is expected, mainly because of the expiration of enhanced subsidies at the end of 2025. Policy experts say the end of those subsidies led millions to drop or lose coverage through the first few months of this year.
But the Trump administration sees victory in the falling enrollment, crediting its various efforts to reduce fraud, including the August cancellation of policies covering 760,000 enrollees suspected to be improperly signed up. A small number of those enrollees have regained coverage.
Have your ID ready
One of the biggest changes for people shopping for their 2027 coverage will be increased scrutiny of both consumers and agents. The requirements are aimed at thwarting fraud or improper enrollments. For consumers, it could slow the enrollment process.
Stay up to date with our Up First newsletter, sent every weekday morning.
The new rules, outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, affect only consumers using agents or brokers to help them enroll through the federal marketplace, which serves 29 states. They do not apply to state-based exchanges, which have their own rules and have in most cases been more successful at preventing fraudulent sign-ups.
For starters, all consumers using an agent in the federal marketplace will need to get a one-time confirmation code or link to authorize a specific agent to enroll them or make changes on their behalf. It will be sent to consumers by text message, email or an automated phone call from one of the private enrollment platforms used by their agent. Returning consumers who have incorrect or outdated contact information will first need to call the federal marketplace themselves or submit an application online to update it.
Additionally, consumers and policyholders deemed "high-risk" must verify their own identity before authorizing an agent. CMS defines as "high-risk" first-time applicants or those with existing coverage whose applications involve a change of state, as well as consumers working with a new or different agent or with a monthly premium payment of $30 or less.
Joshua Brooker, who oversees an insurance agency in Pennsylvania, said CMS appears to have selected people in those groups for greater scrutiny because "someone who is moving to a new state or switching brokers — that could be a broker trying to impersonate a consumer."
The $30-a-month cutoff may be tied to concerns that plans with no or low monthly premiums are easier for bad agents to target for unauthorized enrollments because the policyholder may never get a bill. Some rogue agents even pay the low monthly amount themselves and still make a profit from the commission, Brooker said.
The broad nature of the new rules, though, has Brooker concerned "that up to 1 in 5 consumers is going to have to do extra identity proofing" and may just give up and not get insured.
Consumers designated high-risk must prove their identity through a CMS-approved third party such as credit company Experian, which generally asks questions only the consumer should be able to answer. People who fail this test may be asked to call Experian's help desk or submit their applications themselves by creating a healthcare.gov account, which requires them to upload identification such as a driver's license, a passport, immigration papers or another form of ID.
"Some people may have trouble not because they're not real, but because they don't have a credit file, or have moved, or have changed names," said Stacey Pogue, a senior research fellow at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.
She said the changes might "be an appropriate response by CMS that targets fraudulent enrollments but might also create extra hurdles."
There may be fewer brokers
CMS in September issued a rule that places a moratorium on brokers new to offering ACA coverage. Agents not registered with the federal marketplace in 2026 will not be allowed to assist with enrollments for 2027 until February at the earliest, past the end of open enrollment season.
CMS said it took this step because a disproportionate number of "significant compliance concerns" in 2026 came from newly registered agents or brokers. Additionally, the agency has kicked out "hundreds of non-compliant agents and brokers" this year.
Jason Fine, who runs a brokerage in Florida, said he agrees with the concept behind these changes. He has reported multiple times to CMS, for instance, that rogue agents have switched his clients' coverage without authorization, wanting the agency to take action against them. But he said the updated rules also raise concerns.
"Everything they are doing in the long term makes sense," he said. However, in the short term, "I don't know if they care about the chaos it will cause."
That's because the moratorium will make it much harder for small brokers to help clients this year. His agency and others often pare their staffing after open enrollment but hire again toward the end of the year. He was planning to add up to 10 agents to his core staff of about five but has been told by recruiters that he's unlikely to be able to find anyone who was registered for 2026 and is still available.
He suggested that the move unintentionally benefits larger call centers, some of which were doing much of the marketing that regulators feared led to unauthorized switching. Call centers often maintain larger staffs.
"They can afford to keep a staff of 25 or 40 people all year long," Fine said.
Groups representing agents are very unhappy with the directive. One, the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, filed a lawsuit on Oct. 15 against the Trump administration over the moratorium, saying it unfairly targets 19,000 agents who may want to sell ACA plans for next year.
"Just because you're a new agent doesn't mean you are fraudulent," said Ronnell Nolan, president of Health Agents for America, another sales agent group, which on Oct. 21 filed suit seeking a temporary restraining order on the moratorium. "All these agencies who have trained new agents and paid thousands of dollars now have people who won't be able to work."
It all leads to an important piece of advice from Georgetown's Pogue: Consumers should not delay making appointments. "If you rely on an agent or broker, and a lot of people do, their slots might fill up faster because there will be fewer of them to help with enrollment. I would reach out early."
Costs will continue to be an issue
This year, after Congress did not renew the expiring enhanced subsidies, most people getting ACA coverage saw what they had to pay increase. Higher earners lost subsidies entirely. Add in double-digit premium increases, and most people had to pay substantially more for their coverage.
Still, most people who buy ACA coverage for next year will receive a subsidy. It will just be less generous than it was before the enhancements expired at the end of 2025.
The subsidies are pegged to the premium costs of benchmark plans, the name given to the second-lowest-priced silver-tier plan in an area.
This helps offset premium increases.
"For most folks, overall affordability will stay about the same," said Louise Norris, a health policy analyst for HealthInsurance.org. "That's not to say it's great, but if you were able to manage the premiums this year, it should be similar to that."
But there are other factors at work, too.
Last year's average premium increase of 26% was the largest in years. It was driven in part by insurers' fear that the expiration of subsidies would cause healthier people to drop out of the marketplace. Other drivers often cited for such increases include a rise in overall medical care costs and general inflation, and labor shortages.
For the upcoming year, those dynamics remain a concern, with premiums slated for double-digit increases, although at 15%, slightly lower than last year.
Subsidies are income-based and cut off for households earning more than four times the federal poverty rate. During this open enrollment season, that amount is $63,840 for a single person, $86,560 for a couple, and $109,280 for a family of three, for example.
"The biggest issue we will face is affordability," said Anne Petry, who, with her father, owns Jaggi Petry Insurance & Investments in Forsyth, Illinois, and helps customers purchase health insurance, including ACA plans. "There definitely will come a breaking point for people."
Agents and other experts say consumers should not allow their plans to automatically renew and should instead go online to compare premiums and coverage, which can change each year even for the same plan. There may be less expensive alternatives, including plans from new insurers, so they suggest looking at not just premiums, but also deductibles and other costs. At the same time, several insurers, including Cigna, have dropped all or part of their ACA coverage areas.
"If you just sit on the sidelines and let the policy auto-renew, you might miss out on what could be a better opportunity," Norris said. She said it is important to check options because the cap on out-of-pocket maximums for ACA plans is also increasing.
That amount, which represents the most a consumer must pay toward deductibles, copayments and coinsurance before the policy is expected to cover remaining in-network medical costs, was $10,600 for an individual and $21,200 for a family plan this year. In 2027, it will grow by 13% to $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for family coverage. Lower caps on out-of-pocket maximums are set for households earning up to 2.5 times the federal poverty level.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Congress passed last year, also strips subsidy eligibility from many lawfully present immigrants, including people holding temporary H-1B work visas, refugees, asylees, people with temporary protected status, and those with pending green-card applications.
Three immigrant groups can still get ACA subsidies: green-card holders, who have permanent legal status; certain Cuban and Haitian immigrants; and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands or Palau.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
Copyright 2026 KFF Health News
Keep up with LAist.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
A man casts his ballot during early voting in Waukesha, Wis., on March 18.
(
Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
More than 4 in 10 names flagged as possible noncitizen voters in California by the Trump administration cannot be found on the state’s voter rolls, according to a legal filing Saturday by an immigrant-rights group.
Why it matters: It’s the first outside analysis of a list that the Department of Justice has used to threaten prosecution of election officials. The analysis also found that thousands of U.S. citizens appear to be flagged as ineligible to vote on the government’s list.
Why now: The contention was made in a filing by two data analysts at the University of California, Los Angeles. The breadth of the problems with the list was outlined in Saturday’s filing. It describes an analysis by two members of UCLA’s Voting Rights Project, who filed a lawsuit challenging it with the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA.
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 4 in 10 names flagged as possible noncitizen voters in California by the Trump administration cannot be found on the state’s voter rolls, according to a legal filing Saturday by an immigrant-rights group.
It’s the first outside analysis of a list that the Department of Justice has used to threaten prosecution of election officials. The analysis also found that thousands of U.S. citizens appear to be flagged as ineligible to vote on the government’s list.
The contention was made in a filing by two data analysts at the University of California, Los Angeles. They analyzed the 20,930 names that the department demanded that California election officials treat as possible illegal voters by separating their ballots during the vote count on Election Day.
Multiple judges have rejected the demand as unconstitutional and a threat to democracy, and local and state officials have said the list appears riddled with errors.
Court filing outlines problems with government list
The breadth of the problems with the list was outlined in Saturday’s filing. It describes an analysis by two members of UCLA’s Voting Rights Project, who filed a lawsuit challenging it with the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA.
The research found that 8,880 of the names, representing 42% of the entire list, do not correspond to anyone in California’s current voter file. It also found at least 22 are U.S. citizens, and many more may correspond to those of confirmed citizens.
“The expert analysis further makes clear that the mandated voter list endangers a significant number of eligible California voters,” said the filing, which was cosigned by Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for California governor and an adviser to the UCLA Voting Rights Project. null
The Trump administration had objected to sharing the list, calling it a “fishing expedition” and noting that it included sensitive information. On Saturday, the federal prosecutor who spearheaded the Trump case in California called the analysis “bogus.”
“This is a bogus report by the activist illegal immigrant rights group CHIRLA,” Bill Essayli, who runs the U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles, posted on X.
Also on Saturday, President Donald Trump bemoaned the legal rulings against his effort to force California to separate votes from the individuals his administration labels suspected noncitizens, even though one came from a judge he himself nominated.
In a social media post, Trump claimed his Justice Department found “20,000, but potentially Hundreds of Thousands, and maybe even Millions,” of fraudulent votes, “and the Court has just ruled against it. Why would they reject fixing Election Fraud?”
The Trump administration has also urged Washington state to remove what it says were 400 possible noncitizens on its rolls, though state election officials there say that list is also unreliable and includes one voter who cast ballots in the 1990s.
The Justice Department has warned California election officials they could face criminal liability if they let noncitizens vote and issued subpoenas to election officials there.
Election officials say they have no time to investigate
Election officials have complained that the Trump administration has confronted them with lists of possible illegal voters at the last minute before Election Day, with no time to conduct the painstaking investigation required by law before removing someone from the rolls.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed to stop the administration from continuing to threaten local election officials.
On Friday, a federal judge in California ordered the Justice Department to stop sending demands to state officials, a decision the Trump administration appealed Saturday. Several counties in the state had run quick checks of the Trump list and found numerous errors.
Saturday’s broader analysis was possible because a federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to share the list with the plaintiffs in the case.
CHIRLA and the UCLA project sued the Homeland Security Department in early October to prevent it from using federal immigration data to challenge state voter rolls. The lawsuit cited examples in other states where the federal government’s data has been proven to mistakenly include thousands of citizens.
Case argues that government’s methods pose risk to voting
The case argued that the data-matching methods risk disenfranchising or deterring citizens from voting. On top of that, plaintiffs argued, the lists could disproportionately target naturalized citizens who are legally entitled to vote.
Applying the government’s methodology, the UCLA researchers found that nearly 7,500 naturalized citizens in the state were “highly likely” to be incorrectly flagged as ineligible.
The researchers noted that the administration apparently removed the voter identification number from the names, making it harder for election officials to determine whether the flagged individuals were already on their rolls or were duplicates in the Justice Department list. They described the voter ID number as the most crucial data point.
The Justice Department argues that there is just as much to lose if the ballots aren’t separated.
“Every ballot cast by an ineligible voter cancels out the vote of an American citizen,” Kiersten V. Pels, a spokesperson for the department, wrote in an email. “The Department makes no apology for protecting those votes.”
Josie Huang
is a reporter and Weekend Edition host who spotlights the people and places at the heart of our region.
Published November 1, 2026 5:00 AM
Jordan Delgado picked Lady Gaga's 'You and I' as her debut song with the L.A. Karaoke league.
(
Josie Huang
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The LA Karaoke league turns singing into a team sport, where costumes, props and creativity matter more than hitting the right notes. For performers craving a creative outlet when auditions are harder to come by, the league offers a community to cheer them on.
The backstory: The L.A. league is part of United Karaoke, a national network of chapters that share a competition format, voting app and pledge to always keep the vibe friendly.
What's next: Teams compete for a spot in the finals. The public is welcome to watch and vote for their favorite performances.
For many of us, karaoke is a chance to sing our favorite shower song in public.
But at a North Hollywood bar every Wednesday night, it’s a team sport. And competitors in the L.A. Karaoke league are more serious about putting on an over-the-top production than hitting all the right notes.
At a social in late September, league manager Michelle Goff kicked off a new season of weekly themed showdowns, from dance-floor favorites to internet memes to songs inspired by birds.
Brittany Gates, the CEO of United Karaoke, who was visiting from D.C., did her rendition of 'Let's Hear It For The Boy' by Deniece Williams.
(
Josie Huang
/
LAist
)
"You are going to see numbers that people came up with in their crazy dreams maybe three years ago, and it's going to be amazing,” Goff told performers at the social. “And then they’re never going to be done again.”
Michelle Goff unveils the different themed weeks, from dance-floor favorites to internet memes to songs inspired by birds.
(
Josie Huang
/
LAist
)
Performances range from solos to group numbers, and the crowd votes for its favorites. Props and costumes are highly encouraged.
Here, dark wizards from Harry Potter duet to Taylor Swift. A singer tosses flowers to the crowd while belting Seal's “Kiss From a Rose.” Once, Goff danced around as an erupting Mount Vesuvius as her teammates sang Bastille's "Pompeii."
Like intramural sports but with microphones, teams compete over six weeks, followed by two weeks of playoffs, then the finals.
It all happens at the Good Nite bar, on a darkened stretch of Burbank Boulevard. Inside, there’s an inviting purple glow and warm conversation that can be hard to come by in a city as big as L.A.
“You know, the city, exciting as it is, still has so many strangers,” said Carlos Mulia.
A newcomer to the league, the chef-turned-actor already feels like he belongs.
Want to join the L.A. Karaoke league?
Where: The Good Nite, 10721 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood.
When: Wednesday nights during the season.
How: Check the chapter’s website or @WeSingLA on Instagram for season announcements. Fall season registration is closed. The next season will start in late January or early February.
Cost: Registration costs $65 to $80, depending on when you sign up and whether you use a discount code.
Can I go watch: Yes! League nights are open to the public, with no cover charge, and anyone can vote for their favorite performances.
“Sometimes you can go to a karaoke bar and everyone’s talking and no one’s paying attention to you — that can be a downer,” he said. “But here, everyone’s contributing, everyone’s cheering for each other.”
For Mulia, the league also offers a creative outlet during Hollywood’s production slowdown, when he says opportunities to perform are scarce.
Actor Carlos Mulia said competitive karaoke gives him a creative outlet and a place to find community in a big city.
(
Josie Huang
/
LAist
)
“There’s not that many auditions," he said. "They’re far and few between, and it can really affect your psyche. So this allows you to just let it all out.”
The L.A. league started in Santa Monica in 2014 before moving among venues around the region and finding its current home at the Good Nite in 2021.
It’s part of United Karaoke, a loose national network with chapters in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Chicago. The local leagues share a competition format, voting app and a pledge to keep the vibe welcoming.
In the league, friendships spark right away. Mulia hit it off with another actor, Jordan Delgado, who teaches children art at a studio.
They quickly figured out they’re both half-Filipino and grew up with karaoke, a fixture of Filipino social life.
“It is in our blood to do karaoke,” Delgado said. “So yeah, I’m honoring my ancestors in a way by being here tonight.”
Anybody is welcome on karaoke competition nights and invited to vote for their favorite performances.
(
Josie Huang
/
LAist
)
Delgado loves to perform but says the karaoke league promises more than that.
“It’s something to look forward to in the downtime of the part-time jobs,” Delgado said. “A reason to regularly meet up with people, where we could just be silly, without any judgment.”
For her league debut, Delgado is going with a tried and true crowd-pleaser.
“My go-to song that my friends and family have heard me sing a billion times is ‘You and I’ by Lady Gaga," Delgado said. "It really gets the crowd going.”
When it’s her turn, Delgado bounds onto the tiny stage up front with a big confident smile that matches a powerful voice.
“We got a whole lot of money, but still pay rent,” Delgado sings, striding across the tiny stage to whoops and cheers.
Several weeks after her league debut, Delgado would go on to win best performer during Graveyard Week, when the league revives songs so overdone they’re normally off-limits.
Her winning number? “Shallow,” with Delgado singing both the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper parts.
And she brought the theatrical flair. Dressed as Gaga on one side of her body and Cooper on the other, she was her own duet partner.
