Los Gatos vs Santa Cruz
Los Gatos, California versus Santa Cruz, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Los Gatos and Santa Cruz score about the same overall (50 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Los Gatos | Santa Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $198k | $105k |
| Cost of Living | $106k | $106k |
| Home Value | $2.0M | $1.1M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.56% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.27% | 22.12% |
| Unemployment | 4.7% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 64°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 22.2 in | 30.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 223 days | 200 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 90.5 | 76.6 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 34 AQI |
| School Quality | 92.7 | 66.4 |
| Violent Crime | 515/100k | 1622/100k |
| Property Crime | 1846/100k | 3611/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 33,093 | 61,367 |
| Median Age | 45.6 | 29.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+62 | D+62 |
| White (%) | 69.1% | 61.0% |
| Black (%) | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.2% | 21.2% |
| Asian (%) | 16.9% | 9.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 6.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 14.0/20 | 13.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 27 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.0% | 94.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 161.36 | 78.87 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
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 Los Gatos or Santa Cruz more affordable?
- Santa Cruz has the lower cost of living: its index is $106k, compared with Los Gatos's $106k and Santa Cruz's $106k. Median rent is $3k in Los Gatos versus $2k in Santa Cruz.
- Is Los Gatos or Santa Cruz safer?
- Los Gatos has the lower violent crime rate. Los Gatos reports 515/100k and Santa Cruz reports 1622/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Los Gatos or Santa Cruz?
- The median home value is $2.0M in Los Gatos and $1.1M in Santa Cruz, so homes are more affordable in Santa Cruz.