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Town0
Los Angeles

Santa Monica

#1 in Best Suburbs to Live in Los Angeles Area
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • Town in California
  • 95 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A+
  2. Crime & Safety
    C
  3. Housing
    C
  4. Nightlife
    A+
  5. Good for Families
    A+
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    B
  8. Weather
    A+
  9. Cost of Living
    D
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A+
  12. Commute
    A
View Full Report Card
Santa Monica is a town in California with a population of 92,495. Santa Monica is in Los Angeles County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Santa Monica offers residents an urban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Santa Monica there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Santa Monica and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Santa Monica are highly rated.
About Santa Monica...
Population
92,495

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$1,168,500
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,669
National
$949
Area Feel
Urban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    72%
  • Own
    28%
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Santa Monica Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
C
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    437.9
    282.7
  • Murder
    3.2
    6.1
  • Rape
    58.1
    40.7
  • Robbery
    259.3
    135.5
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    697.3
    500.1
  • Theft
    3,725.2
    2,042.8
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    284.1
    284
Home Security Options for Santa Monica
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
  • <10 years
    9%
  • 10-17 years
    6%
  • 18-24 years
    7%
  • 25-34 years
    20%
  • 35-44 years
    16%
  • 45-54 years
    14%
  • 55-64 years
    12%
  • 65+ years
    17%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    28%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    39%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    19%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    9%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    6%
    13%

Working in Santa Monica

Jobs
B
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$86,084
National
$55,322
Search for Jobs in Santa Monica
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges
Places like Santa Monica
  • A+
    Beverly Hills
    • Suburb of Los Angeles, CA
    • 66 reviews
  • A+
    Riviera
    • Neighborhood in Torrance, CA
    • 10 reviews
  • A+
    Sunset Park
    • Neighborhood in Santa Monica, CA
    • 12 reviews
  • A+
    Ocean Park
    • Neighborhood in Santa Monica, CA
    • 9 reviews
More

Santa Monica Reviews

95 reviews
All Categories
I've lived and/or worked in Santa Monica for over 12 years. In addition to it's gorgeous weather and beaches, Santa Monica is both family & pedestrian friendly, as well as a vacation destination and hot spot for evening events. Although Santa Monica has faced years of traffic congestion due to its popularity, however the City continues to strive to be environmentally conscious through offering fantastic public transportation--the new metrorail, (hulu) bike rental kiosks, becoming anti-smoking, and banning plastic bags. From healthy fast casual restaurants offering vegan cuisine, bistros and fresh sushi to high end restaurants...Santa Monica offers it all!
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Santa Monica is an amazing place to live and THRIVE. Living here has drastically improved my overall well being which is all too important living in a major city such as Los Angeles. The city cares about their community and if there was anything I would change, it would be more opportunities to engage with my neighbors and events (however there already is a lot)!
I love how Santa Monica is cooler than the rest of LA. I hate heat so the Santa Monica weather is working just fine for me. Another thing I enjoy is being close to the water. Living right by the ocean is amazing! It can also be very beautiful when you drive and can see the hills surrounding Los Angeles. AT the same time Santa Monica is home to such terrible spot as 3rd street Promenade. It's loud, crowded, and full of tourists and homeless. I really think Santa Monica needs something like a more fancy and european-styled city center, with cosy little cafes and quite corners to get a cup of coffee and read a book. It also needs a bookstore.