The City Saw A Population Decrease Along With An Uptick In Housing Units.
By Zach Armstrong
The City of Santa Monica saw an incremental decrease in its total population along with an uptick in total housing units at the start of 2023 compared with 2022, according to data released by the California Department of Finance.
At the start of 2023, Santa Monica had 53,422 total housing units and a population of 91,720. Those numbers are compared with those at the start of 2022 when the city had 52,857 total housing units and a population of 91,739.
All of this has led to a vacancy rate of 10.3% in Santa Monica. Out of those 53,422 units, 47,941 were occupied. The city also showed an average of 1.86 people for every household.
Factors in California’s population decline during 2022 include stable births, fewer deaths, and a rebound in foreign immigration, according to the department. The state’s population is estimated at 38,940,231 as of Jan. 1.
Over the same period, California’s housing growth increased to 0.85% – the highest level since 2008. The state added 123,350 housing units on net, including 20,683 accessory dwelling units, bringing its total housing to 14,707,698 units.
