5 census tracts · pop 26,135 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 8.3/10
· range 7.7–9.9
Downtown Santa Monica spans 5 census tracts of Santa Monica, CA and houses 26,135 people. The Eviction Risk Score is 8.3/10, in the High tier. The strongest single driver of the headline number is tenant-organizing strength at 9.8/10.
39% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, markedly above the Santa Monica rate of 27.5%. 73% of occupied units are rented, so comparables are plentiful and vacancy risk is low, but a mispriced renewal loses the tenant to a building two streets over.
Internally this is not one market. Tract scores span 7.7 to 9.9, so two buildings inside the same boundary can carry materially different risk. 21% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate.
On the softer side is economic stress, at 2.7/10. 3.8% of adults report being unable to pay a utility bill, below a 9.2% national figure. Utility arrears usually lead rent arrears by a month or two. Food insecurity affects 8.0% of adults, 9.8 points below the national rate.
Among the 4 mapped neighborhoods of Santa Monica, it ranks #5 by risk, the lower third. Average gross rent runs $2,379, close to the Santa Monica average. Annual rent works out to 24% of average household income of $118,433.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 8.3 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
8.3
High
5 tracts · population-weighted
Downtown Santa Monica vs Santa MonicaHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority48%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport75%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Downtown Santa Monica
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
7.7%Housing insecurity
3.8%Utility shutoff threat
8.1%Food insecurity
7.5%SNAP enrollment
4.0%No health insurance
24.5%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Downtown Santa Monica
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Downtown Santa Monica?
Downtown Santa Monica scores 8.3/10 (High tier) across 5 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.
Q2
How does Downtown Santa Monica compare to Santa Monica overall?
Downtown Santa Monica scores 0.8 points lower than Santa Monica overall (9.1/10). Renters spend 39% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $2,379 vs $2,402.
Q3
What is the average rent in Downtown Santa Monica?
Average gross rent in Downtown Santa Monica is $2,379/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 39% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Downtown Santa Monica residents are renters?
73% of Downtown Santa Monica households are renter-occupied (vs 72% in Santa Monica). The neighborhood has 26,135 residents.
Q5
Is Downtown Santa Monica a high social-vulnerability area?
Downtown Santa Monica sits in the 45th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
Which tracts in Downtown Santa Monica have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Downtown Santa Monica is census tract 06037701402 (score 9.9/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 7.7 to 9.9, a spread of 2.2 points.
Q7
How safe is Downtown Santa Monica for landlords?
Downtown Santa Monica carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (8.3/10). Pop-weighted across 5 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Santa Monica as a whole (9.1/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Downtown Santa Monica?
Downtown Santa Monica has 26,576 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (64.1%), Hispanic / Latino (15.5%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (9.7%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
