Net Income Per Common Share and Net Income Per Common Unit (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2023	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2023	Jun. 30, 2022
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 99,620	$ 57,054	$ 253,152	$ 130,308
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	64,182,555	65,262,517	64,319,783	65,269,109
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.55	$ 0.87	$ 3.94	$ 2.00
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 99,620	$ 57,054	$ 253,152	$ 130,308
Income from continuing operations available to common stockholders (in shares)	64,183,675	65,289,603	64,320,898	65,307,572
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.55	$ 0.87	$ 3.94	$ 2.00
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 103,126	$ 59,044	$ 262,062	$ 134,861
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	66,442,994	67,539,662	66,582,934	67,548,899
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.55	$ 0.87	$ 3.94	$ 2.00
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 103,126	$ 59,044	$ 262,062	$ 134,861
Income from continuing operations available to common stockholders (in shares)	66,444,114	67,566,748	66,584,049	67,587,362
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.55	$ 0.87	$ 3.94	$ 2.00
Stock options
Basic:
Income effect of dilutive securities	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)	1,120	27,086	1,115	38,463
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	505,037		490,970	124,892
Stock options | Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Basic:
Income effect of dilutive securities	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)	1,120	27,086	1,115	38,463
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	505,037	230,326	490,970	124,892
Convertible units
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	2,260,439	2,277,145	2,263,151	2,279,790
Income allocated to convertible OP Units	$ 3,500	$ 2,000	$ 8,900	$ 4,600