2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Santa Monica, CA vs Arroyo Grande, CA

#2 Most Comfortable Summer Cities

#2 Top 10 Cities to Beat the Heat

#43 Best Cities for Board Gamers

#47 Gloomiest Places in America

#50 America's Top Hygge Cities

#3 2005 Best Places to Live

#10 Most Competitive Public Colleges

#16 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)

#64 Best Green Cities

I moved here to Santa Monica over 10 years ago from Oklahoma City. I was surprised to see that Oklahoma City was ranked higher than Santa Monica on best places. I  More

I've lived in Santa Monica for over 30 years. It's a Mediterranean climate--sunny and temperate when the rest of the country is under snow! I am walking distance to  More

I have lived in this city for 4 decades, and it is never been worse than it is now. It is a dangerous disgusting hell hole. Between the crime, the homeless that are not  More

Arroyo Grande is a nice place to live. However, it is rather expensive for many people. There is a large retirement community living here, and home and rental prices are  More

I've lived here for nearly thirty years and love it. Great, easy climate year round. I know what I'm talking about--having lived in San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada,  More

People from here absolutely love it and refuse to admit that it is much too expensive. They hate change. To live in a good school area will cost you dearly. There is  More