Skip to content
RE Intelligence

Rental numbers for ZIP 90402 (Santa Monica, CA)

Negative cash flow at any interest rate with 25% down: the rent does not cover operating costs and principal.

Gross yield
1.7%
rent x 12 / price
Est. cap rate
-0.0%
NOI / price
Cash flow
-$26,202/mo
at 7.78%, 25% down
Typical price
$4,841,000
Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
Typical rent
$6,978/mo
Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026

The pro forma

Typical home, default assumptions

Income and expenses, per year
OperatorLineAmountSource
Gross rent$83,736
Vacancy$4,187
Management$6,364
Property tax$24,203
Insurance$1,986
Maintenance$48,405
Net operating income-$1,408
Loan payments$313,006
Cash flow-$314,414
Purchase and loan
OperatorLineAmountSource
Typical price$4,840,509
Down payment (25%)$1,210,127
Loan$3,630,382
Rate7.78%
Monthly payment$26,084
Cash in$1,355,343
Cash-on-cash return-23.2%
DSCR-0.00
Break-even ratenone
Down payment25%
A common minimum for investment-property and DSCR loans.
Interest rate7.78%
Freddie Mac 30-year 7.03% (week of 2026-09-24) + 0.75 point investor premium.
Loan term30 years
Fixed, fully amortising.
Closing costs3% of price
Added to cash invested.
Insurance$1,986 a year
NAIC 2023 average homeowners (HO-3) premium for California, $1,655, x 1.2 for a landlord policy.
Maintenance1% of price a year
The 1% rule of thumb; older homes run higher.
Vacancy5% of rent
About 18 days empty a year.
Management8% of collected rent
A typical full-service fee; zero if you self-manage.

Trends

Five years to August 2026

Price, 12 months
+12.5%
Rent, 12 months
+5.3%
Rent minus price growth
-7.1 pts
positive means yields are improving
Typical value (Zillow ZHVI) Rent (Zillow ZORI)Indexed to 100 at Aug 2021
8010012014016020222023202420252026
Show the numbers
MonthTypical valueRent
Aug 2021$3,977,445$4,647
Aug 2022$4,626,849$5,140
Aug 2023$4,406,430$5,421
Aug 2024$4,220,603$5,808
Aug 2025$4,304,290$6,624
Aug 2026$4,840,509$6,978

Rent references

Two sources, never blended

SourceStudio1 bed2 bed3 bed4 bed
HUD Small Area FMR, FY2026$2,440$2,730$3,400$4,310$4,800
Zillow observed rent, Aug 2026$6,978 typical, all home types

HUD's Fair Market Rent is the 40th percentile gross rent (rent plus utilities) for a standard unit, and it is what Section 8 vouchers pay against. Zillow's index tracks asking rents on listed homes. The two measure different things, so they are shown side by side and never averaged. HUD area: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area.

Property tax

Effective rate
0.50%
ZIP area, ACS
At the typical price
$24,203/yr

Median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024. Los Angeles County: 0.68%. Actual bills depend on the assessment, exemptions and any non-homestead rate.

Supply

Permits per 1,000 households
8.6
Los Angeles County, last 12 months
National percentile
66th
among US counties

29,499 new housing units permitted in 2025-09 to 2026-08, Census Building Permits Survey. A high figure means more new supply competing for tenants.

Nearby ZIP codes

ZIPDistanceTypical priceRentGross yieldCash flow /mo
90403Santa Monica0.7 mi$1,450,000$3,5652.9%-$6,850
90401Santa Monica1.4 mi$1,277,000$3,6873.5%-$5,549
90404Santa Monica1.8 mi$1,035,000$3,3133.8%-$4,266
90405Santa Monica2.4 mi$1,893,000$3,1622.0%-$10,000
90025Los Angeles3.4 mi$1,049,000$3,2853.8%-$4,508
90291Los Angeles3.6 mi$1,873,000$3,9072.5%-$9,184
90049Los Angeles3.9 mi$2,969,000$3,8301.6%-$16,527
90272Los Angeles4.4 mi$2,870,000$13,2875.6%-$7,605

Every ZIP in Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles, CA metroCalifornia

Run the numbers on a real listing

The calculator opens with this ZIP's figures. Swap in a listing's price and rent, your rate and your costs.

Open the calculator for 90402

Questions

Is 90402 good for rental property?
On the typical home here, priced at $4,841,000 and renting for $6,978 a month (Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026), the gross yield is 1.7% and the estimated cap rate is -0.0%. At a 7.78% investor rate with 25% down, estimated cash flow is -$26,202 a month. The median gross yield across the 8,418 ZIP codes with full Zillow data is 5.6%. These are figures for a typical property, not a judgement on any particular one.
What is the typical rent in 90402?
Zillow's observed rent index for 90402 was $6,978 a month in August 2026, across all home types. HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $3,400, the 40th percentile of gross rents and the basis for Section 8 payment standards.
What is the property tax rate in 90402?
The effective property tax rate is about 0.50% of value (median taxes paid divided by median home value, Census ACS 2020 to 2024). On the typical $4,841,000 home that is about $24,203 a year. Your bill depends on the assessment and local exemptions.
What interest rate makes a rental in 90402 break even?
With the default assumptions, no interest rate brings cash flow to zero: rent does not cover operating costs plus principal on a 30-year loan with 25% down.
How fast are prices and rents changing in 90402?
Over the 12 months to August 2026, the typical home value changed +12.5% and the typical rent changed +5.3%. Prices rising faster than rents pushes yields down.

Sources and method

Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.

Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.