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Santa Cruz, CA

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

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Where it is
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz in California
California in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Santa Cruz area.

25
grocery stores
200+
restaurants
87
coffee shops
119
parks
107
playgrounds
17
libraries
4
movie theaters
24
live theaters
7
museums
22
bookstores
21
gyms
50
bars
18
pharmacies
2
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What rent costs

Of about 36,937 rented homes in the Santa Cruz area, 43% rent for under $2,000 a month and 76% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 13%
$1,000 to $1,499: 11%
$1,500 to $1,999: 20%
$2,000 to $2,499: 19%
$2,500 to $2,999: 13%
$3,000 or more: 24%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$1,148,750
What a typical home sells for across the Santa Cruz area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 10% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $110 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 109.9 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 45 min at rush hour
To downtown San Jose, CA, 30 miles. About 42 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
27 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $1,616 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in CA. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Median household income
$109,266
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.62% of home value a year
About $620 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 13.30%
CA's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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