San Diego vs Santa Monica
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $906,700 in San Diego and $1,755,500 in Santa Monica.
- Households earn more in Santa Monica ($114,885 vs $108,077 median).
- San Diego is growing faster: +1.6% since 2020 vs -3.2%.
Side by side
| San Diego, CA | Santa Monica, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,406,106 | 90,082 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.6% | -3.2% |
| People per square mile | 4,312 | 10,713 |
| Median age | 36.2 | 42.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51% | 71% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $108,077 | $114,885 |
| Median home value | $906,700 | $1,755,500 |
| Home value to income | 8.4× | 15.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,313 | $2,402 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.9 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 179.3 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,900 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 47% | 28% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.5 | 24.8 |
| Work from home | 21% | 38% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6% | 6.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11% | 11.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 66° / 49° | 66° / 49° |
| July high / low | 74° / 65° | 75° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 9 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 4 | 5 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 18% | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.5% | +1.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.8% | +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: San Diego: January to December. Santa Monica: January to December.
Full monthly tables: San Diego 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 $83,900 in San Diego and $85,200 in Santa Monica. Moving from San Diego to Santa Monica, you would need about $76,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between San Diego 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 San Diego and Santa Monica.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.