Residential comparison · 13 facts
Santa Cruz, CA vs Watsonville, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Santa Cruz needs about $78,500 in Watsonville to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Watsonville, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $91,500 in Santa Cruz.
A few differences
- Santa Cruz is higher on median household income ($115,475 vs $78,393).
- Watsonville is lower on cost of living index (131 vs 174).
- Watsonville is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,775/mo vs $2,758/mo).
Santa Cruz vs Watsonville · facet by facet
| Facet | Santa Cruz, CA | Watsonville, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,209,000 | $686,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,758/mo | $1,775/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 174 | 131 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $115,475 | $78,393 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Santa Cruz, CA · Watsonville, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Santa Cruz cheaper than Watsonville?
- Watsonville has the lower day-to-day cost index (131 vs 174 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Watsonville equals $85,000 in Santa Cruz?
- A household earning $85,000 in Santa Cruz needs about $78,500 in Watsonville to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Watsonville lifestyle costs about $91,500 in Santa Cruz.