Hollister vs Watsonville
Hollister, California versus Watsonville, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Hollister and Watsonville score about the same overall (46 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Hollister | Watsonville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $96k | $72k |
| Cost of Living | $82k | $106k |
| Home Value | $639k | $630k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.82% | 0.67% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.68% | 22.02% |
| Unemployment | 6.4% | 9.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 52°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 62°F | 63°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.7 in | 22.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 199 days | 184 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.9 | 77.9 |
| Air Quality | 32 AQI | 31 AQI |
| School Quality | 61.1 | 66.5 |
| Violent Crime | 1256/100k | 1316/100k |
| Property Crime | 772/100k | 1862/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 42,093 | 52,457 |
| Median Age | 33.5 | 33.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.65 | 0.68 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+62 |
| White (%) | 22.8% | 13.2% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 69.6% | 82.6% |
| Asian (%) | 3.0% | 2.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 1.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 35 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 14.1/20 | 9.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 45 mi | 30 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.8% | 86.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.01 | 25.54 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Hollister or Watsonville more affordable?
- Hollister has the lower cost of living: its index is $82k, compared with Hollister's $82k and Watsonville's $106k. Median rent is $2k in Hollister versus $2k in Watsonville.
- Is Hollister or Watsonville safer?
- Hollister has the lower violent crime rate. Hollister reports 1256/100k and Watsonville reports 1316/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Hollister or Watsonville?
- The median home value is $639k in Hollister and $630k in Watsonville, so homes are more affordable in Watsonville.