2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Hilo, HI vs Santa Cruz, CA

#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

If you’re looking at Hilo, then you’re likely being recruited in the medical or education fields. These are where the greatest needs of the community lie, and there are  More

I enjoyed living in Hawaii County for a number of years, most in Hilo. While Hilo has problems, they are few compared to mainland USA. I never experienced racism by  More

Too much racism from "native Hawaiians" who aren't actually natives. That keeps me from living in that paradise. I'm this is the "natives" goal.  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