editorial
Santa Cruz is a town in California with a population of 61,367. Santa Cruz is in Santa Cruz County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Santa Cruz offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents rent their homes. In Santa Cruz there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Santa Cruz and residents tend to lean liberal. The public schools in Santa Cruz are highly rated.
About
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$1,116,100
National
$281,900
Median Rent
$2,232
National
$1,268
Area Feel
Based on the housing stock, population density, and the proximity of amenities of the area.
Urban Suburban Mix
Rent vs. Own
Rent
53%
Own
47%
Sponsored Mortgage Options for Santa Cruz
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Map
Homes For Sale
Santa Cruz Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and expert insights.
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
gradeC minus
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
Assault
463.9
national 282.7
Murder
1.6
national 6.1
Rape
61.6
national 40.7
Robbery
197.9
national 135.5
Property Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
Burglary
410.4
national 500.1
Theft
2,890.5
national 2,042.8
Motor Vehicle Theft
309.8
national 284
Residents
Diversity
gradeA
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
<10 years
6%
10-17 years
6%
18-24 years
31%
25-34 years
13%
35-44 years
11%
45-54 years
11%
55-64 years
10%
65+ years
13%
More
Education Levels
National
Master's degree or higher
28%
national 13%
Bachelor's degree
29%
national 21%
Some college or associate's degree
28%
national 28%
High school diploma or equivalent
10%
national 26%
Less than high school diploma
5%
national 11%
More
Working in Santa Cruz
Median Household Income
$105,491
National
$75,149
Top Public Schools Serving Santa Cruz
gradeA+
Pacific Collegiate Charter School
Rating 3.61 out of 5 101 reviews
gradeA
Santa Cruz High School
Rating 3.74 out of 5 106 reviews
gradeA
Mission Hill Middle School
Rating 4 out of 5 2 reviews
gradeA
Harbor High School
Rating 3.55 out of 5 259 reviews
gradeA minus
Branciforte Middle School
Rating 5 out of 5 1 review
Similar Places
Places like Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Reviews
Rating 3.61 out of 5 175 reviews
Rating 5 out of 5
Santa Cruz is very much a liberal bubble (with exceptions of course) and most people are generally respectful of others and accepting of LGBTQIA+ individuals. I would recommend Santa Cruz to people who love nature: we have the ocean and the mountains all in one mild weathered location, it's practically paradise and very beautiful all year round. That being said, we are a tourist location (with the boardwalk, Mystery Spot, and Wharfs being popular locations) so summers and weekends can get very crowded and busy (especially traffic-wise). Also, the cost of living is very high and we have a fairly large problem with homelessness so make sure to check out rent (if you intend to rent) and increases in rent in the future just to be safe. If you are attending/planning to attend UCSC, I would say go for it! I have some friends whose parents are UCSC staff and they are some of the kindest and smartest people I know, and UCSC's campus is beautiful.
- Current Resident
- 29 days ago
Rating 4 out of 5
This small college town doesn't offer much besides a few downtown restaurants and the beach. There are a lot of tourists that come into town during the summer for the Boardwalk, a place that is iconic for the area but full of pricey games and rides. It's ridiculously expensive to rent here and near impossible to ever own a home here for most millennials and gen z. It's not very diverse here as most residents are Caucasian with the most diversity coming from visiting college students at UCSC. The few shops downtown can be cute but parking is hard to come by. Lots of homeless around town/ downtown.
- Current Resident
- 2 months ago
Rating 1 out of 5
Come here if you want to live in a city:
- with SF prices but banana republic infrastructure, where any rain may cause a power outage
- with no seasons but annoying cold weather well into the summer, even though it has a well-crafted image of beach paradise
- that encourages drug use -- you'll feel pot smell everywhere and a rampant homeless crisis
- with a hypocrite liberal majority but think they're so open-minded and altruistic but not as much as to allow more housing construction
- with dismal services and a depressing food scene, where you'll be better off looking for a good restaurant in small Scotts Valley
- Current Resident
- 2 months ago
