2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Anchorage, AK

#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

#3 Best Cities for Teleworking - Small Metro Areas

#15 Most Secure Places to Live 2011 (Mid-Size Cities)

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

#83 2005 High Gas Prices

#85 High Gas Prices - Which Cities are Hit the Hardest?

#100 Most Popular Cities for the Holidays

#160 2005 Best Places to Live

#308 Best Green Cities

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

Anchorage had potential but with the massive amount of homeless the petty crime is on the rise. I chose to live in a town outside of Anchorage rather than the city for  More

I lived in Anchorage for the better part of the 2010's. Pros: o Beautiful, mountain and ocean views; close to many hiking trails, campsites, fishing grounds,  More

it's nice, i liked it when i grew up there. kinda wish i could move back, but i didn't really like being isolated from all the things like nordstrom, trader joe's,  More