Is Santa Monica, CA a Good Place to Live?
Santa Monica is a mid-sized city of 92,168 in California, with a median household income of $106,797 and a 6.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.
Strengths: Santa Monica stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Santa Monica is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Santa Monica city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 115.5Santa Monica's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Santa Monica costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Santa Monica, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,654,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,227 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 28.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $106,797 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
High CrimeSanta Monica's violent crime rate is 778.0 per 100,000 residents — 105% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Santa Monica is served primarily by Santa Monica-Malibu Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.6:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Santa Monica, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 10 | — |
| Middle Schools | 3 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 67.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Santa Monica sees average highs of 62.0°F in January and 69.4°F in July, with 12.2 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Santa Monica, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 62.0°F |
| Average High — July | 69.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Santa Monica, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 92,168 | — |
| Median Age | 42.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 69.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 8.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, CA is covered by 5 ZIP codes: