| | Charlotte, NC | Santa Cruz, CA | United States |
| Overall | 102.5 | 186.0 | 100 |
| Food & Groceries | 99.2 | 111.5 | 100 |
| Health | 95.0 | 109.2 | 100 |
| Housing | 103.3 | 420.7 | 100 |
| Median Home Cost | $381,800 | $1,270,800 | $338,100 |
| Utilities | 9,830.0% | 9,350.0% | 10,000.0% |
| Transportation | 97.7 | 110.5 | 100 |
| Miscellaneous | 110.3 | 155.7 | 100 |
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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My favorite city to live year round with 4 seasons. We love Charlotte More
This city has a lot of potential, but it could use some work. For example, it seems to lack things that other cities have. And there is a lack of atmosphere and charm. More
Very new transplant (~6 weeks) so first impressions and reasons why I moved here:
-great year-round weather, if you don't mind humidity-- less hot in summer than TX/AZ More
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Reviews for Santa Cruz 
44 Reviews
I lived in the Santa Cruz area for 20 years. UCSC alum. Our kids were born there. There are wonderful things about Santa Cruz, but also many serious problems that we More
I have been here for four generations! My kids are the fifth. I guess that should tell you how wonderful it is here, at least for us. It's so cool to have world class More
I was born over the hill in San Jose area, and as a kid I loved coming over to the boardwalk. Santa Cruz has always been and always will be a town of diversity, More
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