Santa Cruz County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 99% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 32% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 94% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 82% of US counties
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 2% for walkability
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Santa Cruz County is a county in California with about 269,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, walkability, and broadband access. It rates lower on monthly rent and cost of living.
Official websitesantacruzcountyca.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comfortable
cool
81%54%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.5 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$104k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$106kbetter than 1% of US counties
Home Value$951k100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 1% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 1% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.63%better than 72% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden21.98%better than 1% of US counties
Unemployment5.9%better than 28% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)66°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation23.0 in17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 92% of US counties
Sunny Days231 daysbetter than 42% of US counties
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 88% of US counties
Comfortable Days216 daysbetter than 99% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk97.8better than 2% of US counties
Air Quality36 AQIbetter than 80% of US counties
School Quality66.4better than 70% of US counties
Violent Crime1113/100kbetter than 30% of US counties
Property Crime1885/100kbetter than 17% of US counties
Community
Population268,57192nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.229th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5385th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0049th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+621st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)55.7%20th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.8%32nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)34.2%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)4.7%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.6%73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 33% of US counties
Walkability12.0/20better than 98% of US counties
Airport Distance21 mibetter than 95% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.5%better than 96% of US counties
Amenities Nearby2.38better than 50% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 59% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Cruz County an affordable place to live?
- Santa Cruz County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $106k, better than 0% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Santa Cruz County?
- The median home value in Santa Cruz County is $951k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
- Median household income in Santa Cruz County is $104k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Santa Cruz County?
- Median gross rent in Santa Cruz County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Santa Cruz County safe?
- Santa Cruz County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1113/100k (better than 30%). Property crime is 1885/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Cruz County?
- Santa Cruz County averages 66°F in July and 51°F in January, with 23.0 in of annual precipitation and about 231 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Cruz County?
- Public-school quality in Santa Cruz County is above average, scoring better than 70% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Cruz County?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Cruz County is 27 min.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)