Santa Monica, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Santa Monica, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A
Income Above average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Santa Monica | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 91,091 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5304.5 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.15% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.6 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 47,247 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Santa Monica grew by 20.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 91,091 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Santa Monica is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 28.1% of residents. That is 4.5 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 15,197 16.7% -5.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 25,625 28.1% +4.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 19,813 21.8% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,886 17.4% +2.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.4% of the people living in Santa Monica and men 47.6%.
- Women 52.4% California 49.9%
- Men 47.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Santa Monica
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Santa Monica has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Santa Monica | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $116,065 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.36% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Santa Monica is about 17% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Santa Monica | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,864,231 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,401 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 27.9% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Santa Monica is about 64.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,401 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Santa Monica spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 185 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Santa Monica | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.2 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.4 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 185 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,732 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 38.4% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 36,103 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,868 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Santa Monica is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Santa Monica has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Santa Monica | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.6% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.88 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Santa Monica has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Santa Monica | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.4 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 7.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Santa Monica, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Santa Monica, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica, CA | 91,091 | $116,065 #3/3 | $1,864,231 #1/3 | 22.2 min #1/3 |
| Culver City, CA | 39,823 | $119,446 | $1,404,140 | 26.5 min |
| Beverly Hills, CA | 31,624 | $130,286 | $1,791,666 | 22.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Santa Monica, California.
How big is Santa Monica, California by population?
About 91,091 people live in Santa Monica, California, in 47,247 households of 1.9 people on average. The median age is 43.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Santa Monica, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Santa Monica, California has 5,305 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 61 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Santa Monica, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 16.1 times the median household income ($1,864,231 against $116,065), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,401 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Santa Monica, California?
Unemployment in Santa Monica, California is 6.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Santa Monica, California?
65.6% of adults in Santa Monica, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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