Santa Cruz vs Seaside
Santa Cruz, California versus Seaside, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Seaside 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 | Seaside |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $105k | $80k |
| Cost of Living | $106k | $106k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $652k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.56% | 0.51% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.12% | 20.37% |
| Unemployment | 6.2% | 7.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 52°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 64°F | 62°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 30.6 in | 16.2 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 | 200 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 76.6 | 48.6 |
| Air Quality | 34 AQI | 33 AQI |
| School Quality | 66.4 | 70.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1622/100k | 1328/100k |
| Property Crime | 3611/100k | 1240/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 61,367 | 32,291 |
| Median Age | 29.5 | 34.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.71 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+62 | D+62 |
| White (%) | 61.0% | 30.5% |
| Black (%) | 1.9% | 5.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 21.2% | 44.6% |
| Asian (%) | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.0% | 8.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 13.3/20 | 14.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 27 mi | 51 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.1% | 92.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 78.87 | 119.54 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Santa Cruz or Seaside more affordable?
- Seaside has the lower cost of living: its index is $106k, compared with Santa Cruz's $106k and Seaside's $106k. Median rent is $2k in Santa Cruz versus $2k in Seaside.
- Is Santa Cruz or Seaside safer?
- Seaside has the lower violent crime rate. Santa Cruz reports 1622/100k and Seaside reports 1328/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Santa Cruz or Seaside?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Santa Cruz and $652k in Seaside, so homes are more affordable in Seaside.