The typical owner-occupied home in Santa Monica is worth about $1,755,500, 2.4 times the California median of $734,700 and 5.3 times the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $10,001 a year in property taxes, about 0.57% of their home's value, lower than the California rate of 0.70%. The median household earns $114,885 a year, so the median home costs 15.3 times the median income (7.4 times for California). 28% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 62% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Santa Monica at a glance
| Santa Monica | California | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,755,500 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $10,001 | $5,124 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.57% | 0.70% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $114,885 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 28% | 56% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 62% | 67% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $4,001 | $2,946 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 26.3% | 24.8% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $2,402 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 27.5% | 32.8% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 11.2% | 7.5% | 10.1% |
| People below the poverty line | 11.2% | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Population | 91,169 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
Household budgets and debt in Santa Monica
In Santa Monica, the typical owner with a mortgage spends 26.3% of household income on housing and the typical renter spends 27.5%. Above 30% is generally considered cost-burdened, which leaves less room for other debts.
11.2% of residents live below the federal poverty line, compared with 12.0% in California.
If debts are getting hard to manage, the usual options, from mildest to most serious, are: a budget and a call to your lenders to ask for a hardship plan; a debt management plan through a nonprofit credit counselor, which can lower interest rates; a debt consolidation loan or, for homeowners, a cash-out refinance or home equity loan; debt settlement, where a company negotiates to pay less than you owe; and bankruptcy.
Under the Federal Trade Commission's rules, debt settlement companies can't charge a fee until they have settled at least one of your debts. Settling can hurt your credit and forgiven debt may be taxable, so compare it with credit counseling first. Time limits for collectors to sue differ by state and by type of debt; check with your state attorney general or a lawyer before relying on one.
Homeowners can sometimes pay off high-interest debt with their home's equity. With the median Santa Monica home worth $1,755,500 and 38% of owners mortgage-free, many owners have equity to draw on, but it turns unsecured debt into debt secured by your home.
Questions about debt relief in Santa Monica
What is the median home value in Santa Monica?
About $1,755,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Santa Monica?
Homeowners pay a median $10,001 a year, which is about 0.57% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.
How much of their income do Santa Monica households spend on housing?
With a median household income of $114,885, owners with a mortgage spend a median 26.3% on housing and renters 27.5%.
More about Santa Monica
- Mortgage Refinance in Santa Monica
- Home Buying in Santa Monica
- Home Equity Loans in Santa Monica
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data