Santa Monica vs Sunnyvale
The short version
- Sunnyvale is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the Santa Monica area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $1,755,500 in Santa Monica and $1,801,800 in Sunnyvale.
- Households earn more in Sunnyvale ($186,170 vs $114,885 median).
- Santa Monica has the warmer winter: January highs of 66°F vs 59°F.
- Sunnyvale is growing faster: +0.6% since 2020 vs -3.2%.
Side by side
| Santa Monica, CA | Sunnyvale, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 90,082 | 156,577 |
| Growth since 2020 | -3.2% | +0.6% |
| People per square mile | 10,713 | 7,098 |
| Median age | 42.7 | 35.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71% | 69% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $114,885 | $186,170 |
| Median home value | $1,755,500 | $1,801,800 |
| Home value to income | 15.3× | 9.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,402 | $3,039 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 110.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 211.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $82,800 |
| Homeowners | 28% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.8 | 23.0 |
| Work from home | 38% | 29% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.7% | 4.5% |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 66° / 49° | 59° / 42° |
| July high / low | 75° / 63° | 77° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 13 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 5 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 2 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 9 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 92% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.2% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +31.9% | +27.4% |
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: Santa Monica: January to December. Sunnyvale: March to November.
Full monthly tables: Santa Monica weather by month and Sunnyvale weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Santa Monica and $82,800 in Sunnyvale. Moving from Santa Monica to Sunnyvale, you would need about $72,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Santa Monica and Sunnyvale
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Santa Monica and Sunnyvale.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.