2025 Compare Cities Rankings:
Yakima, WA vs Santa Cruz, CA

#9 Safest Places from Natural Disasters

#13 Most Secure Places to Live in the U.S. (Mid-Size Metro Areas)

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

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

#170 Best Green Cities

#265 2005 Best Places to Live

#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

Overall we've enjoyed our stay in Yakima after several years and plan on being here for several more, at least. The spring and summer here are just unreal compared to  More

I may be relocating to Yakima, WA for a professional position at a local university. I have never lived in this part of the country as I am from the East Coast. I have  More

Yakima is situated in the high desert, eastern elevations of the Cascade Mountain Range. Coming from the humid, eastern parts of the country, I was amazed at how  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