Pico Neighborhood Snapshot
At a Glance
The Pico neighborhood is a vibrant community in Santa Monica with distinct histories, challenges, and strengths of it's own.
Population Breakdown
Pico: 16,108
Santa Monica: 93,076
LA County: 9,829,544
Racial/Ethnic demographics
Pico neighborhood
White - 37.6%
Latinx - 32.7%
Asian - 14.1%
Black - 8.8%
Mixed - 3.3%
Santa Monica
White - 63.2%
Latinx - 16.1%
Asian - 10.3%
Black - 4.2%
Mixed - 8.6%
History
As early as the 1920s, Pico was a cultural hub for Black, Mexican and Japanese communities. Due to being a working class community of color, the neighborhood has long been under-resourced and its residents vulnerable to displacement. For example, the construction of the 10 Freeway in the 1960s resulted in the displacement of hundreds of residents. Resilience in the face of such injustices is a defining strength of the Pico neighborhood, as seen today through the high rates of volunteering from engaged community members.
Community needs
- 16.7% of households are rent burdened (compared to 34.2% city wide)
- 16% of households experiencing poverty (compared to 10.1% city wide)
- 87.8% of youth complete high school (compared to 94.8% city wide)
- 24% of high school students graduate college (compared to 67% city wide)
- Higher COVID-19 Rick levels than the rest of the city (according to CDC Risk Survey)
- 13.2% of residents report high levels of mental distress (compared to 8.7% city wide)
