Santa Cruz, California
Among the top 4% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 26% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 73% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 4% for walkability
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Santa Cruz is a mid-size city in California with about 61,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, walkability, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and cost of living.
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain
cool
comfortable
warm
comfortable
cool
81%54%clearovercast
Precipitation 6.2 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$105k87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$106kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$1.1M99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 4% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 3% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.56%better than 84% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden22.12%better than 2% of US places
Unemployment6.2%better than 30% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)64°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation30.6 in24th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days231 daysbetter than 46% of US places
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 86% of US places
Comfortable Days200 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk76.6better than 32% of US places
Air Quality34 AQIbetter than 87% of US places
School Quality66.4better than 61% of US places
Violent Crime1622/100kbetter than 14% of US places
Property Crime3611/100kbetter than 4% of US places
Community
Population61,36798th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age29.58th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5185th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9849th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+622nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)61.0%24th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.9%65th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)21.2%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)9.9%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.0%77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 74% of US places
Walkability13.3/20better than 96% of US places
Airport Distance27 mibetter than 83% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.1%better than 80% of US places
Amenities Nearby78.87better than 50% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 58% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Cruz an affordable place to live?
- Santa Cruz 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?
- The median home value in Santa Cruz is $1.1M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Santa Cruz?
- Median household income in Santa Cruz is $105k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Santa Cruz?
- Median gross rent in Santa Cruz is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Santa Cruz safe?
- Santa Cruz is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1622/100k (better than 14%). Property crime is 3611/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Cruz?
- Santa Cruz averages 64°F in July and 51°F in January, with 30.6 in of annual precipitation and about 231 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Cruz?
- Public-school quality in Santa Cruz is above average, scoring better than 61% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Cruz?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Cruz is 22 min.
Other places in Santa Cruz County
Places near Santa Cruz
Compare Santa Cruz
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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)