Santa Cruz, CA Rankings


44 Reviews



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Santa Cruz, California is a beautiful coastal city, located in Santa Cruz County in the state of California. It is home to some of the most stunning beaches and coastline views, making it a popular tourist destination. In addition to its natural beauty, Santa Cruz also ranks highly among bestplaces for its strong economy and desirable quality of life. According to bestplaces rankings, Santa Cruz has an overall score of 6.6 out of 10, with the highest ranking categories being cost of living (9 out of 10) and weather (8 out of 10). The city also has high marks for diversity (7 out of 10) and education (7 out of 10). With its warm climate, diverse community, and low cost of living, Santa Cruz is an attractive destination for those wanting to lead an enjoyable lifestyle in a vibrant city.

Best Places ranks thousands of places to live based on analysis, data and key statistics from the U.S. Census and our Best Places To Live Expert Insights.

Santa_Cruz Ranked
#18 Most Competitive Public Colleges
Most Competitive Public Colleges... Read More

Santa_Cruz Ranked
#27 Best Green Cities
Country Home magazine, in conjunction with Sperlings BestPlaces, reveals that Burlington, Vermont is the 2007 Best Green Pla... Read More

Santa_Cruz Ranked
#41 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)
Feeling safe and secure is especially important to Americans these days. Recent events have reminded us that the safety of our... Read More

Santa_Cruz Ranked
#124 2005 Best Places to Live
2005 Best Places to Live Study.... Read More

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Reviews for Santa Cruz
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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

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Over 4 years ago

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

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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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