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Santa Monica, CA

Census place 0670000 · pop 91,169

D−36/ 100
🫤 Rough
D−
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Education70.7% · top 4%
🚽 Disaster100/100 · bottom 1%
💡 Did you know?

Its famous pier marks the western terminus of historic Route 66, the 'End of the Trail.'

Source ↗
Taxes
0.57% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

Google Maps ↗Zillow ↗Wikipedia ↗

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1001

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership27.9%1

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

27.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Housing cost$1,755,5001

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$1,755,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Air quality (AQI)County-level80 AQI3

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

80 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level133 days3

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

133 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property crime rate4857/100k3

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

4857 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Income inequality0.543

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.54 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Rent$3,596/mo4

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$3,596/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Violent crime rate754/100k7

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

754 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Unemployment rateCounty-level5.5%7

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

5.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)-0.4%27

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-0.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Commute time25 min43

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Poverty rate11.2%52

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

11.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access94.1%71

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

94.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Poor mental health14.7%81

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income$114,88584

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$114,885 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Property-tax burden0.57%85

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.57% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Adult smoking8.0%92

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

8.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Physical inactivity16.2%93

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

16.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Uninsured adults4.6%95

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

4.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult obesity23.0%96

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

23.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Bachelor's degree or higher70.7%96

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

70.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Frequently asked

Is Santa Monica, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Santa Monica scores 36/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher and its weakest is natural disaster risk. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Santa Monica, CA?
Santa Monica reports 754 violent crimes per 100k and 4857 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Santa Monica, CA expensive to live in?
Santa Monica has a median home value of $1,755,500 and typical rent around $3,596/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Santa Monica, CA?
Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Santa Monica, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (70.7%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Its famous pier marks the western terminus of historic Route 66, the 'End of the Trail.'

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.