What is the rental vacancy rate in Santa Monica, CA?

Name: Vacancy rate in Santa Monica, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Santa Monica, CA is 7.9% (±1.5 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.3% (±0.5 points).

5,977 (±679) homes, 11.2% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Santa Monica, the rental vacancy rate went from 2.5% in 2015–2019 to 7.9% in 2020–2024 (+5.4 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 7.9% (±1.5 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.3% (±0.5 points)
Vacant homes: 5,977 (±679)

Vacancy in Santa Monica against Los Angeles County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Santa Monica	Los Angeles County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	7.9% (±1.5 points)	4.0% (±0.1 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.3% (±0.5 points)	0.7% (±0.1 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	5,977 (±679)	234,017 (±5,084)	1,096,644 (±18,928)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Santa Monica, the rental vacancy rate is higher than in Los Angeles County (4.0%).

It is also higher than in California (4.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Santa Monica

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Monica
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Santa Monica	—	7.9% (±1.5 points)	—
Marina del Rey	3.6 mi	12.4% (±7.6 points)	Not measurably different
Los Angeles	5.0 mi	4.6% (±0.2 points)	Lower
Culver City	5.8 mi	6.3% (±2.5 points)	Not measurably different
Beverly Hills	7.2 mi	4.1% (±2.0 points)	Lower
Ladera Heights	7.4 mi	0.0% (±4.1 points)	Lower
El Segundo	8.1 mi	4.0% (±2.9 points)	Lower
Topanga	8.6 mi	17.0% (±15.1 points)	Not measurably different
View Park-Windsor Hills	8.7 mi	6.3% (±6.2 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Los Angeles, CA (4.6%), Beverly Hills, CA (4.1%), Ladera Heights, CA (0.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Los Angeles County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
5	Malibu	12.5% (±8.5 points)
6	Marina del Rey	12.4% (±7.6 points)
7	Quartz Hill	11.6% (±8.2 points)
8	San Pasqual	9.6% (±9.7 points)
9	Manhattan Beach	8.8% (±2.8 points)
10	La Cañada Flintridge	8.0% (±7.0 points)
11	Santa Monica	7.9% (±1.5 points)
12	East San Gabriel	6.7% (±4.1 points)
13 (tie)	West Hollywood	6.5% (±1.9 points)
13 (tie)	West Rancho Dominguez	6.5% (±3.8 points)
15 (tie)	Culver City	6.3% (±2.5 points)
15 (tie)	View Park-Windsor Hills	6.3% (±6.2 points)
17	Arcadia	6.2% (±2.4 points)

Showing 13 of 140 places in Los Angeles County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Santa Monica

Is it hard to find a rental in Santa Monica?

The rental vacancy rate in Santa Monica, CA is 7.9% (±1.5 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Santa Monica tighter than it was?

In Santa Monica, the rental vacancy rate went from 2.5% in 2015–2019 to 7.9% in 2020–2024 (+5.4 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How many homes are vacant in Santa Monica?

An estimated 5,977 (±679) housing units, 11.2% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Santa Monica city, California (place:70000, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.