Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 55/100
C−
Median home value$1,755,500
Los Angeles $871,300
Median rent$2,402/mo
Los Angeles $2,063/mo
Cost-burdened households43%
Los Angeles 46%
Santa Monica
Los Angeles County91,169 residentsSanta Monica-Malibu Unified
71
B−
Suburbgrade score
2nd of 60 Los Angeles suburbs. Strong on amenities and commute & transport, held back by housing & affordability.
71
Los Angeles median 55
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Santa Monica yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 71 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Santa Monica is like to live in, by category
Bars show Santa Monica against Los Angeles. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 76/100
B
Within-state proficiency91st pct
Los Angeles median 63rd pct
Student–teacher ratio19.8
Los Angeles median 22.9
Graduation rate93%
Los Angeles median 92%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 70/100
B−
Housing cost index119
Los Angeles 100
Eff. tax rate0.65%
Los Angeles 0.66%
Local sales tax10.75%
Los Angeles median 10.00%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 77/100
B
Mean commute24.8 min
Los Angeles 29.5 min
Under 30 minutes62%
Los Angeles 54%
Transit stops / sq mi20
Los Angeles median 11 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 96/100
A+
Restaurants & cafés316
Los Angeles median 92 · within 2 miles
Groceries15
Los Angeles median 9 · within 2 miles
Parks61
Los Angeles median 47 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 58/100
C
Median household income$114,885
Los Angeles $95,958
Unemployment6.7%
Los Angeles 6.8%
Professional occupations72%
Los Angeles 43%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Santa Monica yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Santa Monica on housing & affordability
Santa Monica's weakest grade is C−. One suburb is within 25 miles and scores higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Redondo Beach12 mi from Santa MonicaC 69 B− Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Santa Monica
Is Santa Monica, CA a good place to live?
Santa Monica scores 71 out of 100, 2nd of 60 Los Angeles suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Santa Monica expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $1,755,500, 101% above the Los Angeles median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.65%. $2,402/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Santa Monica?
Schools grade B. The districts serving Santa Monica sit at the 91st pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 93% graduation rate and a 19.8 student–teacher ratio. Santa Monica is served by Santa Monica-Malibu Unified. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Santa Monica?
The mean commute is 24.8 min, with 62% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 38% working from home. Transit density is 20 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Santa Monica?
Within two miles there are 15 groceries, 316 restaurants and cafés and 61 parks, which grades A+ on amenities.
Are the homes in Santa Monica old or new?
The median home in Santa Monica was built in 1968 — close to the Los Angeles median of 1969. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 23% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.