Neighborhood · Santa Monica, CA

Downtown Santa Monica Eviction Risk: Elevated

5 census tracts · pop 26,135 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.1/10 · range 5.4–7.4

Downtown Santa Monica is a white (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Santa Monica with 5 census tracts and a population of 26,135 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 6.1/10 (Elevated tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 39% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 21% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $2,379/month sits 1% lower than the Santa Monica citywide average ($2,402).

Risk score

6.1

Elevated

5 tracts · population-weighted

Downtown Santa Monica vs Santa Monica How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

38.8% +41%

Santa Monica: 27.5%

Average gross rent

$2,379 -1%

Santa Monica: $2,402

Average HH income

$118,433 +8%

Santa Monica: $109,739

Poverty rate

10.9% -6%

Santa Monica: 11.6%

Renter share

72.5% +1%

Santa Monica: 72.1%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Downtown Santa Monica and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 5.4–7.4

Why Downtown Santa Monica scores 6.1

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 6.8–6.8 across tracts

6.8

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 7.2–7.2 across tracts

7.2

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 7.5–7.5 across tracts

7.5

Rent control risk

39% of income on rent · Range 5.6–5.6 across tracts

5.6

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 6.5–6.5 across tracts

6.5

Tenant organizing strength

73% renter households · Range 9.8–9.8 across tracts

9.8

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 5.7–5.7 across tracts

5.7

Economic stress

10.9% below poverty line · Range 1.4–5.0 across tracts

2.7

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.4–4.4 across tracts

4.0

Risk score comparison

Downtown Santa Monica vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Downtown Santa Monica?

Left: distribution of constituent tract scores. Right: every tract as a heat square. Click any square to drill in.

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 2 points from 5.4 to 7.4. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

7.4 6.2 5.7 5.7 5.4

Each square = one census tract. Color tracks the same green→red ramp as the chloropleth map above.

Census tracts

5 tracts in Downtown Santa Monica

Ranked highest-risk first. Click for per-tract detail.

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
06037701402	7.4	6,179	41%	$2,476
06037701302	6.2	4,829	55%	$2,368
06037701501	5.7	5,058	30%	$2,277
06037701502	5.7	3,784	36%	$2,215
06037701304	5.4	6,285	33%	$2,471

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 45

Pop-weighted across 5 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 32%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 31%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 48%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 75%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

What is the eviction-risk score for Downtown Santa Monica?

Downtown Santa Monica scores 6.1/10 (Elevated 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.

How does Downtown Santa Monica compare to Santa Monica overall?

Downtown Santa Monica scores 2.2 points lower than Santa Monica overall (8.3/10). Renters spend 39% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $2,379 vs $2,402.

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.

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.

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.

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 7.4/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.4 to 7.4, a spread of 2 points.

How safe is Downtown Santa Monica for landlords?

Downtown Santa Monica carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.1/10). 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 (8.3/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Downtown Santa Monica?

Downtown Santa Monica has 26,576 residents (White (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (64.1%), Hispanic / Latino (15.5%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (9.7%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Downtown Santa Monica

5.7 Brentwood Park 6 tracts · pop 20,440 6.7 Ocean Park 10 tracts · pop 38,954 5.8 Riviera 2 tracts · pop 7,221 6.7 Sawtelle 2 tracts · pop 10,018 6.7 Sawtelle Japantown 14 tracts · pop 42,118 6.2 Westdale 8 tracts · pop 33,512

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Santa Monica

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Downtown Santa Monica.

6.5 Brentwood 1 tracts · pop 4,614 6.6 Ocean Park 10 tracts · pop 38,954 6.7 Sawtelle 2 tracts · pop 10,018

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