Pasadena and Santa Monica are two of the LA metro area's most happening cities. But have you ever wondered how they stack up against each other?
Using data from a variety of private data sources like Yelp, CrimeoMeter and Zumper, along with public census data, we crunched the numbers to look at how these two areas differ, from rental prices to restaurant density and types of cuisine.
Overall, Santa Monica has a much higher concentration of most types of businesses, but also tends to have higher prices, while Pasadena offers larger living spaces and lower crime. Here's the full breakdown of the Santa Monica versus Pasadena matchup, by the numbers.
Food & Entertainment
When it comes to restaurant density, Santa Monica has approximately 60 restaurants per square mile, whereas Pasadena has close to 38 restaurants per square mile — almost a 58% difference. In terms of restaurant volume by population, however, Pasadena comes out on top: it's got 6.2 restaurants per thousand residents, while Santa Monica has 5.5.
The two cities are pretty closely matched when comparing restaurant quality, although Santa Monica bests Pasadena by a small margin. According to local restaurant ratings on Yelp, the average star rating of Santa Monica restaurants is 3.45 (out of five), while restaurants in Pasadena have an average rating of 3.31. But even though Santa Monica comes in slightly ahead here, both cities have fairly strong average restaurant ratings.
When you start to look at restaurants by cuisine, things get a bit more interesting.
In spite of its lower restaurant density overall, Pasadena outdoes Santa Monica when it comes to Mexican and sushi restaurants. Not only does Pasadena have more Mexican restaurants per square mile (6.06 vs 5.29), but on average they’re higher-rated than their Santa Monica counterparts. Mexican restaurants in Pasadena have an average rating of 3.30 on Yelp, as compared to 3.07 for those in Santa Monica.
Likewise, the average Pasadena sushi restaurant has a 3.72 star rating compared to a 3.59 stars for sushi in Santa Monica, representing a marginal difference of around 4%.
The numbers don't lie: Angelenos love to brunch. Both cities score very highly for breakfast and brunch options, with Santa Monica having more options to choose from (8.58 vs 3.68 restaurants per square mile). Santa Monica also takes the (pan)cake f quality of breakfast and brunch spots, with ratings almost 7% higher on average among Yelpers (3.79 vs 3.55 stars).
If art galleries are your thing, it's a virtual no-contest: Santa Monica is where you want to be. With 9.99 art galleries per square mile, Santa Monica has the more vibrant art scene in comparison to Pasadena's 1.9 art galleries per square mile.
The same goes for nightlife. While both cities have a thriving nightlife scene, Santa Monica has almost three times as many options than does Pasadena, with 14.34 nightlife destinations per square mile compared to Pasadena's 5.97. But Pasadena wins out when comparing how Yelpers rate the nightlife, with a 3.57 average star rating for Pasadena businesses compared to 3.41 stars in Santa Monica.
Cost of Living
In April, the median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica was $2,815, more than 56% higher than the $1,800 median rent for a 1-bedroom in Pasadena.
Conversely, the median size of a 1-bedroom apartment rental in Pasadena (750 square feet) was around 3% higher than similar apartments in Santa Monica (726 square feet). This means that even though you get close to the same amount of space renting a 1-bedroom apartment in both cities, Pasadena gives you a bigger bang for your buck.
The equation holds true for apartments of all sizes, from studios to 4-bedroom apartments. Within each category, median prices in Santa Monica were anywhere from 49% to 93% higher than similar apartments in Pasadena.
Based on our analysis of Yelp’s price-range data, the average pizza shop in Santa Monica is approximately 14% more expensive than its counterpart in Pasadena, and the average coffee shop in Santa Monica is almost 15% more expensive.
However, Pasadena came out to be slightly more expensive when comparing health and fitness options. Gyms and workout studios in Pasadena are on average almost 4% more expensive than those in Santa Monica, according to Yelp data.
But as with pizza and coffee, nightlife in Santa Monica will cost you more: The average bar/nightclub in Santa Monica is approximately 13% more expensive than in Pasadena.
Community & Services
Access to education can be a big part of what makes a strong community. We looked at the number of schools and educational institutions in these cities and found that Santa Monica has 4.17 educational institutions per thousand residents, as compared to 2.92 in Pasadena.
Conversely, Pasadena has a greater density of religious organizations, with approximately 1.10 organizations per thousand residents, compared to 0.72 in Santa Monica.
To understand how these cities compare when it comes to public safety, we also analyzed crime data from multiple data providers.
According to official police reports, in the month of April, Pasadena saw far less crime in general compared to Santa Monica, with 2.03 and 7.50 crime incidents per thousand residents, respectively.
Pasadena saw 0.27 assault-related crimes incidents per thousand residents, compared to 0.88 per thousand residents in Santa Monica. Pasadena also saw lower levels of theft-related crime incidents per thousand residents in comparison to Santa Monica (0.90 vs 2.50).
When it comes to gas stations, Pasadena comes out ahead with 3.25 gas stations per square mile, compared to 2.47 gas stations per square mile in Santa Monica, representing a difference of almost 32%.
According to the numbers, the cities match up pretty closely when it comes to childcare facilities. Pasadena has 0.50 childcare facilities per thousand residents, marginally higher than the 0.43 childcare facilities per thousand residents in Santa Monica.
But Santa Monica edges out Pasadena when it comes to dog walkers and petsitters: It's got 0.67 pet-friendly providers per thousand residents, compared to 0.47 in Pasadena. Santa Monica also boasts a much greater density of public parks (3.35 parks per square mile compared to 1.30 in Pasadena).
So, which area comes out on top? It depends what you're after — but both Pasadena and Santa Monica have a lot going for them.
