2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Pacific Grove, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Pacific Grove older or younger than people in Santa Cruz?
- The Median Age in Pacific Grove is 19.0 years older than in Santa Cruz.

Are housing costs cheaper in Pacific Grove or Santa Cruz?
- Pacific Grove housing costs are 4.9% less expensive than Santa Cruz housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Pacific Grove or Santa Cruz?
- The average commute for residents of Pacific Grove is 3.5 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Santa Cruz.

Things to do in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz, California is an incredible city located in the heart of the Monterey Bay area. This beautiful city offers plenty for visitors to explore such as the stunning natural beaches or the charming downtown area. Residents here also take advantage of all the outdoor activities available at Santa Cruz Boardwalk and Beach, Wilder Ranch State Park, and Seymour Marine Discovery Center. With its excellent school systems, thriving businesses, and numerous recreational opportunities, it's no wonder why so many people choose to make Santa Cruz their home.

Things to do in Pacific Grove?
Pacific Grove, CA is an independent city situated in Monterey County north-west from Carmel-by-the-Sea populated by only over fifteen thousand inhabitants. Pacific Grove generates lots of parks such as Asilomar State Beach providing visitors the perfect chance to experience nature through different activities like birdwatching or horseback riding all year round! Additionally there are multiple eateries and stores available within this area giving something unique on any given day.

 Santa Cruz, CAPacific Grove, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock15,169329,725,481
 Median Income$96,217  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock4838.4
 Avg. Home Price$1,270,800  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock10.4%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time23.45  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Santa Cruz    44 Reviews

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

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Over 5 years ago

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

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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

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Reviews for Pacific Grove    3 Reviews

We had vacationed in the Monterey Bay Area for 40 years and really liked it, so we leased an apartment in Pacific Grove for a year to see if we would like to purchase  More

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Over 19 years ago

PG is a wonderful town, although with a four-year old child, the town feels old. It is prohibitively expensive to live in PG with the Average home close to a million  More

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We were welcomed to the community and had great  More

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