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Best Places to Live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area, California

Beach town complex / Small town - Northern California on Pacific coast, 60 miles south of San Francisco. August, July and September are the most pleasant months in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Housing Market

Lowest Priced Homes	HOMES UNDER $250,000
Most Expensive Listings	HOMES $250,001 to $500,000
Largest Homes	HOMES $500,001 to $750,000
Median Priced Homes	HOMES $750,001 to $1,000,000

Pros
Outdoor recreation
Year-round climate
Educational attainment

Cons
Tourist impact
Healthcare
Cost of living

What Bert Has To Say About Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area

Santa Cruz, a colorful mix of college town, beach town, and cultural center, is an attraction for hippies, yuppies and families alike. The city is famous for its boardwalk, wide sandy beaches and beach amusements. Watsonville is an agricultural center inland, and Soquel and Capitola to the south are more sedate but very attractive beach towns. The University of California at Santa Cruz brings some college life, and the population in general is highly educated. Excellent outdoor recreation is available just to the north in the coastal forests and state parks of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area is 8.1% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Positive. Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area jobs have increased by 1.8%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area's cost of living is 84.8% higher than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

#WeatherDataText# Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area remained overwhelmingly Democratic, 78.4% to 18.5%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area's population is 269,925 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 6.4%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 26.8 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area is Real Estate: $1,072,700. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 2.2%.

SCHOOLS

Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area public schools spend $10,610 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 23.8 students per teacher in Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area. More Education

Best Places to Live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville Rankings

#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

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Housing Market in Santa Cruz-Watsonville

It's a good time to buy in Santa Cruz-Watsonville. Home Appreciation is up 23.3% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in Santa Cruz-Watsonville is $1,072,700.

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COMPARE COST OF LIVING

Compare Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area, California to any other place in the USA.

MAPS OF SANTA CRUZ-WATSONVILLE METRO AREA, CALIFORNIA

Santa_Cruz-Watsonville,California Metro Area Map

ZIP CODES IN SANTA CRUZ-WATSONVILLE METRO AREA, CALIFORNIA

95076, 95060, 95062, 95003, 95066, 95073, 95064, 95033, 95010, 95006, 17 total

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United States / California / Santa Cruz-Watsonville Metro Area / Counties / Cities / Zip Codes