2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA vs Santa Cruz, CA

#2 Most Comfortable Summer Cities

#2 Top 10 Cities to Beat the Heat

#43 Best Cities for Board Gamers

#47 Gloomiest Places in America

#50 America's Top Hygge 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

This page provides little information on RSM. I see they keep describing the area as "outside of Los Angeles." Culturally, it is so far from Los Angeles (I lived in LA,  More

The weather here is amazing. We get a few hot days in the summer but it cools down in the evening. I love being able to sleep with the windows  More

This is the best place to live in South Orange County with mild temperatures, low crime, great schools and family orientated. RSM is a city that sits in a pocket backing  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