Santa Cruz vs Saratoga
Santa Cruz, California versus Saratoga, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Saratoga edges out Santa Cruz on overall objective livability (54 vs 48 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Santa Cruz | Saratoga |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $105k | $238k |
| Cost of Living | $106k | $106k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $2.0M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $4k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.56% | 0.50% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.12% | 20.43% |
| Unemployment | 6.2% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 64°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30.6 in | 22.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 200 days | 225 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 76.6 | 97.0 |
| Air Quality | 34 AQI | 38 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.4 | 92.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1622/100k | 184/100k |
| Property Crime | 3611/100k | 816/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 61,367 | 30,771 |
| Median Age | 29.5 | 50.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+62 | D+62 |
| White (%) | 61.0% | 37.8% |
| Black (%) | 1.9% | 0.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 21.2% | 2.4% |
| Asian (%) | 9.9% | 55.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.0% | 4.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 13.3/20 | 11.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 27 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.1% | 96.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 78.87 | 193.69 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Santa Cruz or Saratoga more affordable?
- Saratoga has the lower cost of living: its index is $106k, compared with Santa Cruz's $106k and Saratoga's $106k. Median rent is $2k in Santa Cruz versus $4k in Saratoga.
- Is Santa Cruz or Saratoga safer?
- Saratoga has the lower violent crime rate. Santa Cruz reports 1622/100k and Saratoga reports 184/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Santa Cruz or Saratoga?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Santa Cruz and $2.0M in Saratoga, so homes are more affordable in Santa Cruz.