ImmigrationDBVerified immigration data
On this page

Living in Santa Monica

There were 40,063 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. Santa Monica, a city in the United States, had a population of 91,169 in July 2026. 44.6% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Santa Monica?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Santa Monica.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$2,402 per month, while the median home value was US$1,755,500 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 27.9%, and the vacancy rate was 11.2% in July 2026.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Santa Monica recurring monthly costs, € per month€1507Private kindergarten€167Utilities, 85 m² flat€104Fitness club€70Transport pass€63Internet, 60 Mbps€40Mobile plan, 10 GB€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly104.5 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Monica (Wayback Machine capture 20241212054320)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited63.34 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Monica (Wayback Machine capture 20241212054320)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,507 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Monica (Wayback Machine capture 20241212054320)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB40.49 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Monica (Wayback Machine capture 20241212054320)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass69.66 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Monica (Wayback Machine capture 20241212054320)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home166.9 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Monica (Wayback Machine capture 20241212054320)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$2,402/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent44.56 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct11.22 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents4,327 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
Median monthly rent2,111 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count3,647 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

23.6% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 21,223 people of 90,082 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$114,885 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Santa Monica is 6.7%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10Santa Monica 6.7%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd114,885 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct85.62 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct94.1 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct1.3 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct4.53 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct4.94 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary6,278 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)21Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,948 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov20Official
Unemployment rate6.68 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Santa Monica. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Santa Monica. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct94.78 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools802 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count12Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct17.62 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio1,590 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents40,063 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate2,572 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Santa Monica when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesSanta Monica highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Santa Monica highlighted5,568Santa Monica5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,568 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting10Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents724.7 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
Safety City Violent Crime Count559 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute24.85 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct1.91 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct2.22 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct4.81 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Nearest airportSMO3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official
Distance to nearest airport4 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports14Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Santa Monica. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Santa Monica.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Santa Monica average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND25°10°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Santa Monica average monthly precipitation, mm0204060807376441572103122157JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Santa Monica annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52513.5PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Santa Monica is 13.5 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–14Santa Monica 13.53 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean13.48 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202423Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 19.1 · Feb 18.7 · Mar 18.9 · Apr 20.1 · May 20.8 · Jun 22.2 · Jul 24 · Aug 24.8 · Sep 24.7 · Oct 23.6 · Nov 21.6 · Dec 19 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI16Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 9.7 · Feb 10.1 · Mar 11.2 · Apr 12.3 · May 14.2 · Jun 16 · Jul 17.8 · Aug 18.2 · Sep 17.6 · Oct 15.4 · Nov 12 · Dec 9.5 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official
Average temperature by monthJan 14.4 · Feb 14.4 · Mar 15.1 · Apr 16.2 · May 17.5 · Jun 19.1 · Jul 20.9 · Aug 21.5 · Sep 21.2 · Oct 19.5 · Nov 16.8 · Dec 14.2 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 72.6 · Feb 76 · Mar 44 · Apr 15.3 · May 7.2 · Jun 1.9 · Jul 1.1 · Aug 0.1 · Sep 2.7 · Oct 12.3 · Nov 20.9 · Dec 56.8 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M360.7 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M39.97 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count12 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm847.1 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul20.91 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature16.89 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan12.62 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
South Gate90,071 residentsFranklin90,226 residentsSanta Fe89,837 residentsQueen Creek89,770 residentsMission Viejo90,484 residentsCompton90,500 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Santa Monica residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport76.4%Foreign residents23.6%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share8.28 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents21,223 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G09 Ntd Service Area Population1,022,273 people4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Population density4,136 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population90,082 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program15Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population90,193 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Is Santa Monica a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–64%
Skilled employee66%strong on work, weak on safety · range 56–76%
Student51%strong on education, weak on safety · range 40–62%
Family40%strong on family, weak on cost · range 30–50%
Retirement43%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 31–55%
Foreign residents21,223 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population90,082 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent44.56 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent2,111 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents4,327 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary6,278 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd1,755,500 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes27.89 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour69.22 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad23.28 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct15 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct8.28 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct65.54 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct78.3 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct3.55 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct70.71 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct88.55 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count1 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Unlinked Passenger Trips 20226,375,861 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Vehicles Operated Max Service 2022143 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus50,357 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct38.36 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct90.38 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Santa Monica?

The median gross salary is 3,948 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Santa Monica?

The unemployment rate is 6.68 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Santa Monica?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 13.48 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Santa Monica?

Police recorded 5,568 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Santa Monica?

The published population is 90,082 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Santa Monica?

21,223 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Santa Monica a good place to live?

Santa Monica may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Santa Monica, United States: rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/santa-monica/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_santa-monica-united-states-rent-salary-cost-of-living_38812bad9b55,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Santa Monica, United States: rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  snapshot = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/santa-monica/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Santa Monica, United States: rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/santa-monica/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  9. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  10. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
Show 14 more sources
  1. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  2. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  5. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  6. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  7. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  11. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  12. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  13. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  14. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Monica (Wayback Machine capture 20241212054320) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.