2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Arroyo Grande, 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

#3 2005 Best Places to Live

#10 Most Competitive Public Colleges

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

#64 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

Arroyo Grande is a nice place to live. However, it is rather expensive for many people. There is a large retirement community living here, and home and rental prices are  More

I've lived here for nearly thirty years and love it. Great, easy climate year round. I know what I'm talking about--having lived in San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada,  More

People from here absolutely love it and refuse to admit that it is much too expensive. They hate change. To live in a good school area will cost you dearly. There is  More