Santa Monica, California
Among the top 1% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 99% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 11% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 67% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 1% for comfortable days
- bottom 1% for estimated total tax burden
Santa Monica is a mid-size city in California with about 92,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, comfortable days, and airport distance. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and estimated total tax burden.
Official websitesantamonica.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Mild winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
comfortable
93%73%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.7 in0.0 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$107k88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$66kbetter than 7% of US places
Home Value$1.7M99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 4% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.60%better than 80% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden25.58%better than 1% of US places
Unemployment6.2%better than 30% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)58°F96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)69°F11th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation12.2 in5th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days292 daysbetter than 94% of US places
Summer Humidity58°Fbetter than 78% of US places
Comfortable Days328 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk93.1better than 6% of US places
Air Quality47 AQIbetter than 44% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime1869/100kbetter than 10% of US places
Property Crime4532/100kbetter than 1% of US places
Community
Population92,16899th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age42.155th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5083rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9850th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+455th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)62.3%25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)5.1%77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)17.2%83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)8.5%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.9%81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time25 minbetter than 54% of US places
Walkability17.0/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance7 mibetter than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.0%better than 72% of US places
Amenities Nearby155.91better than 64% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 43% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Monica an affordable place to live?
- Santa Monica is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $66k, better than 7% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Santa Monica?
- The median home value in Santa Monica is $1.7M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Santa Monica?
- Median household income in Santa Monica is $107k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Santa Monica?
- Median gross rent in Santa Monica is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Santa Monica safe?
- Santa Monica is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1869/100k (better than 10%). Property crime is 4532/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Monica?
- Santa Monica averages 69°F in July and 58°F in January, with 12.2 in of annual precipitation and about 292 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Monica?
- Public-school quality in Santa Monica is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Monica?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Monica is 25 min.
Other places in Los Angeles County
Places near Santa Monica
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)