Santa Cruz, California is a medium-sized city with a population of 63,310 inhabitants. With a population density of 4,969 people per square mile, Santa Cruz is well above the nation's average density level. The majority of Santa Cruz residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Asian and Black. The median age of all Santa Cruz residents is 29, which is well below the national average. This is a good indication that this city could be ideal for a younger demographic. If you are looking for a family friendly city, Santa Cruz might be a good fit as 70% of the population over 15 years old are married, and 61% have kids who are 18 years old or younger.
Are you trying to decide if living in Santa Cruz is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a great experience before moving to any new city in California, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. Several key factors deserve attention. For one, safety is paramount, ensuring that your new area is low in crime is key. Proximity to workplaces or schools minimizes commute times and fosters convenience. Access to essential amenities like parks, grocery stores, food, fitness, shops and healthcare facilities enhances daily life. Efficient public transportation options provide mobility and connectivity. The sense of community creates a welcoming and supportive environment. Lastly, the overall atmosphere, encompassing the vibe, aesthetics, and lifestyle offerings, contributes to a fulfilling living experience. Considering these elements helps identify the ideal neighborhood for your needs and preferences. With useful information like amenities, crime, health & safety, employment, housing and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Santa Cruz and in the areas around Santa Cruz is a much easier task.
With a livability score of 74/100, Santa Cruz is ranked #3,883 in the United States and #132 in California. If we take a closer look at each of the categories on their own, we see that Santa Cruz ranks well for education (A) and employment (A). The bad news for Santa Cruz, there are some categories for which it does not rank well, this includes: crime (F).
Location, location, location - those 3 words empasize the significance of the location of any property and are possibly the three most important words in your search for a new place to live. Fortunately, in Santa Cruz, there are an abundance of amazing local amenities and other interesting things to do. These include grocery stores, coffee shops, places to eat and parks. Some of the interesting things to do and attractions include: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz Wharf, and University of California at Santa Cruz.
Assuming that Santa Cruz meets all of your requirements like low crime rates, good schools and great local amenities, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Santa Cruz. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Santa Cruz are simply unattainable. Median real estate prices in Santa Cruz come in at $707,600, which is 72.9% higher than the California average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Santa Cruz, the home price to income ratio is 11.3, which is 76.6% higher than the California average.
| Statistic | Santa Cruz | California | National |
| Average one way commute | 22min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 56.5% | 73.5% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 8.0% | 10.6% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 6.8% | 5.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 9.5% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 10.3% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 7.2% | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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