2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Grand Junction, CO vs Santa Cruz, CA

#5 Where to Live to Avoid a Natural Disaster (Lowest Risk)

#5 Safest Places from Natural Disasters

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

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

#62 2005 Best Places to Live

#69 Best Green Cities

#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

Grand Junction is another one of those fast growing places due to its cheaper than average cost of living. However with each passing year, that once $600 a month one  More

I’ve lived in Grand Junction for 18 years, but have been coming here (girlfriend, wife, family) since 1992. I think the biggest change or challenge for long time locals,  More

I've lived in Grand Junction for 14 months and it is a nice area, but very expensive to live. There is an ongoing housing crisis due to poor city planning and it has  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