For those on modest apartment-hunting budgets, Santa Monica doesn’t seem to be the answer, something that also applies to the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
A recent RentCafe study analyzed 200 different United States cities on what $1,500 per month in rent could get a renter, and unsurprisingly, the analysis was very unkind to the LA market. Renters in Los Angeles proper, the study shows, can expect an apartment with approximately 439 square feet on a $1,500 budget. This is the third-smallest approximate space on the list of LA metro cities, with only Pasadena (427 square feet) and Irvine (436) stretching dollars less.
Those looking to get an apartment for that budget in Santa Monica are almost entirely out of luck, and will have to assess whether they want to share a space with a bevy of roommates to live in the city. Scouring listings from apartment rental websites Zillow, Apartments.com, Westside Rentals, Redfin and Apartment Finder; only three studio apartments fit under the $1,500 price tag.
One of these was found on Zillow, a 250 square-foot space at 919 18th St. costing $1,400 with a provided microwave and refrigerator. Another spot found on Zillow is at 3222 Santa Monica Blvd. at an unlisted square footage for $1,495 a month, with the same price point and same unlisted footage found on Redfin at 1302 Euclid St. On Apartment Finder, a slightly out of the price range spot at 1010 Pico Blvd. would give a renter 350 square feet for $1,595 per month.
Those willing to share spaces with others may have a little more luck, with an Apartments.com rental available at 621 Strand St. providing a private bedroom in a 3-bed, 2-bath apartment for $1,250 a month, albeit having to share the 1,200 square foot space with two male roommates in their 20s.
A rising trend in Santa Monica is the co-living space, where young professionals and students can secure a place in a massive living cohort for a cheaper price point. Apartments.com and Westside Rentals show three of these spaces currently available, one at 1996 Virginia Ave. for $850 per month, and spots at 1503 Yale St. and 1796 Delaware Ave. for $790 a month.
A catch to the low price is not knowing how many roommates someone will have, as the month-to-month leases lead to much turnover. The co-living spaces have proven successful for international students, though, finding living quarters while attending Santa Monica College and other local colleges.
The further a prospective renter gets from Los Angeles proper, the better off the square footage is for $1,500. The highest average apartment size for the budget are found in Palmdale (693 square feet), Lancaster (670) and Pomona (564). The 439 square feet average in Los Angeles still remains higher than its massive metro neighbor to the east, New York City, where renters get 300 square feet in Brooklyn and a tight 228 square feet in Manhattan.
Out of United States cities with a population over 225,000, the $1,500 budget stretches furthest in Wichita, Kansas (1,359 square feet of living space), Toledo, Ohio (1,345) and Memphis, Tennessee (1,257).
thomas@smdp.com
