Redwood City vs Santa Monica
The short version
- Santa Monica is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Redwood City area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $1,755,500 in Santa Monica and $1,801,700 in Redwood City.
- Households earn more in Redwood City ($157,814 vs $114,885 median).
- Santa Monica has the warmer winter: January highs of 66°F vs 59°F.
Side by side
| Redwood City, CA | Santa Monica, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 82,178 | 90,082 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.5% | -3.2% |
| People per square mile | 4,250 | 10,713 |
| Median age | 37.5 | 42.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54% | 71% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $157,814 | $114,885 |
| Median home value | $1,801,700 | $1,755,500 |
| Home value to income | 11.4× | 15.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,968 | $2,402 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 115.6 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 194.7 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $86,700 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 28% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.3 | 24.8 |
| Work from home | 27% | 38% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.1% | 6.7% |
| Poverty rate | 6.3% | 11.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 41° | 66° / 49° |
| July high / low | 81° / 57° | 75° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 19 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 18 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 6 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 9 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.2 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.3% | +1.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +17.5% | +31.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Redwood City: March to November. Santa Monica: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Redwood City weather by month and Santa Monica weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $86,700 in Redwood City and $85,200 in Santa Monica. Moving from Redwood City to Santa Monica, you would need about $73,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Redwood City and Santa Monica
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Redwood City and Santa Monica.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.