Live-In Caregivers in Santa Monica, CA: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Santa Monica, CA: the local picture

2,405

residents 85 or older (2.6% of all residents)

5,351

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (43%)

23%

of Santa Monica homes have 3 or more bedrooms (45% in Los Angeles County)

$16.90

California minimum wage per hour

About 2,405 Santa Monica residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 23% of homes in Santa Monica have three or more bedrooms (45% in Los Angeles County), while 42% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 3.7 rooms.

Of Santa Monica households headed by someone 65 or older, 5,351 own their home and 7,055 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 640 owners and 1,036 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Santa Monica compared with Los Angeles County and California

Census figure	Santa Monica	Los Angeles County	California
Residents 85 or older	2.6%	1.9%	1.9%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	42%	22%	23%
Residents 65+ with a disability	26%	34%	33%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	17%	15%	12%
Residents 65 or older	20%	15%	16%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	28%	55%	44%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$66,836	$64,269	—

Older residents in towns around Santa Monica

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Marina del Rey, CA	3.6 mi	614	42
Los Angeles, CA	5.0 mi	549,590	72,682
Culver City, CA	5.8 mi	7,116	877
Beverly Hills, CA	7.2 mi	8,048	1,632
Ladera Heights, CA	7.4 mi	1,626	176
El Segundo, CA	8.1 mi	2,412	248

Emergency hospitals near Santa Monica

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Santa Monica - UCLA Med Ctr & Orthopaedic Hospital	Santa Monica, CA	1.8 mi	5 of 5	(310) 319-4000
Saint John's Health Center	Santa Monica, CA	1.8 mi	4 of 5	(310) 829-5511
Cedar-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital	Marina Del Rey, CA	3.5 mi	4 of 5	(310) 823-8911

Straight-line miles from the center of Santa Monica. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Santa Monica

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (66% of the $5,570 monthly median income of Santa Monica households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (221% of the $5,570 monthly median income of Santa Monica households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see How to get paid to care for a family member in California: IHSS, VA, Paid Family Leave.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Santa Monica: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Santa Monica?

Santa Monica - UCLA Med Ctr & Orthopaedic Hospital in Santa Monica, about 1.8 mi in a straight line from the center of Santa Monica (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (310) 319-4000. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Santa Monica?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.90 an hour (the California minimum; the May 2025 median aide wage, $16.50, is below it), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,662 a month (66% of the $5,570 monthly median income of Santa Monica households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $12,303 a month (221% of the $5,570 monthly median income of Santa Monica households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour (U.S. Department of Labor table, updated July 1, 2026).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Santa Monica?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Santa Monica it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Santa Monica

More senior care near Santa Monica

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Santa Monica

More for Santa Monica families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Santa Monica, CA