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

#18 Most Secure Places to Live in the U.S. (Mid-Size Metro Areas)

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

#84 Best Green Cities

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

#207 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

My biggest gripe is the winter weather and more specifically the wind. The wind does not stop blowing the entire winter. It starts around November when NW winds start  More

Such a horrible place. The racism is too much. You cant even take a walk to the park without hearing a racial insult thrown at you. You cant even go to the store  More

I grew up here, moved away, came back to raise my family and have been back since 1993. I love this city!!! There is SOOO much to do. There are 3-4 community theatre  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