Santa Monica receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Santa Monica
Palmdale
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs30 · Bottom 6%
Growth
46 · Bottom 42%
vs49 · Bottom 48%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
39 · Bottom 4%
vs54 · Bottom 13%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs85 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 47%
vs51 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Santa Monica | Palmdale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 91,169 | 164,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,885 | $81,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $94,641 | $29,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 10,842/sq mi | 1,552/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,755,500 | $471,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,402 | $1,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 27.9% | 66.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 6.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.7% | 17.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 457 | 472 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.0 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 35.6% | 391.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 75°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 49°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 5.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.1 min | 41.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.7 | 33.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 45 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.71 | 24.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.9% | 73.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Santa Monica
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Palmdale
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Santa Monica
57
Your Score
50
Area Score
Palmdale
49
Your Score
41
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Santa Monica, CA · Palmdale, CA · How this is calculated: methodology