2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Cedar Falls, IA vs Santa Cruz, CA

#78 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Smallest Metro Areas)

#96 America's Most (and Least) Stressful Cities (117 Smallest Metro Areas)

#108 Best Green Cities

#113 2005 Best Places to Live

#18 Most Competitive Public Colleges

#27 Best Green Cities

#41 America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)

#124 2005 Best Places to Live

I lived in Cedar Falls while attending the University of Northern Iowa. It's a great college town. Main street is nice and there are plenty of restaurants to choose  More

We've lived in Cedar Falls since moving here from the great chicago land area in 2006. The school system in Cedar Falls and in Iowa in general if VERY strong.   More

When I was preparing to moved to Cedar Falls, IA I was repeatedly met with the remark "IOWA!, what's there? corn?" But apart from the bitter winters, tornadoes, and  More

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