Santa Cruz, CA is one of those rare places, and its unique amenities helped land it once again on our list of 100 Best Places to Live in 2016. This city of 62,000 people on the Pacific coast of northern California, enjoys 250 days of sunshine annually in which to enjoy one of the world’s great surfing beaches.
Is it worth it to live in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz is in Santa Cruz County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Santa Cruz offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents rent their homes. In Santa Cruz there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks.
Is Santa Cruz safe to live?
The city gets very crowded since it has so many amenities, but those crowds lead to thefts, fights, and drugs. You can’t go to Santa Cruz and enjoy the best parts of it without also being in the most dangerous parts of it. Car thefts and thefts from cars are some of the biggest complaints and crimes in Santa Cruz.
Is Santa Cruz a cheap place to live?
For small metros, the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro ranked as the third least affordable area. The cost of housing was 67.5% above average and the overall cost of living was 9.4% above average.
Is Santa Cruz a rich area?
The metro area’s high incomes are largely offset by the area’s high cost of living. Goods and services in the Santa Cruz metro area are about 25% more expensive than they are nationwide, on average.
Is Santa Cruz rough?
The rate of crime in Santa Cruz is 39.62 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. People who live in Santa Cruz generally consider the north part of the city to be the safest.
Can you swim in the ocean in Santa Cruz?
The most popular open water swimming beach in Santa Cruz is Cowell Beach, located on the west side of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. This small cove is generally protected from the wind by tall cliffs and the setting is idyllic.
Is Santa Cruz safe to walk at night?
Santa Cruz: Health & Safety
The downtown is busy and active and safe to walk around in until midnight. The town does have a large number of street people or homeless people because the city leaders are compassionate and tolerant and the weather is so good.
How safe is Santa Cruz at night?
The area is the home to many hotels because of their proximity to the beach, but its high crime and drug-use rate makes it not a great area to visit at night. Although murder is rare, it’s still probably in your best of interests to avoid this place in the early morning.
What is special about Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz claims to be the original California surf town, and this picturesque section of the Monterey Bay is a favorite surfers’ spot. A bronze surfer statue is found along the path, as is the world’s first surfing museum.
Why are Santa Cruz homes so expensive?
“… areas with strong housing demand and rising prices combined with robust economies, lots of good-paying jobs, and the amenities that make a place desirable. These markets have lots of restaurants, bars, and shops as well as reasonable commutes to work.” Sound like Santa Cruz?
How much do you have to make to live in Santa Cruz?
Living Wage: $18.10/hr with benefits; $19.74/hr without benefits. Benefits: All of the following – 12 days compensated sick and vacation leave (combined) annually for full-time employees, prorated for part-time; payment of at least $1.00/hr toward health insurance for the employee.
Is Santa Cruz foggy?
While Santa Cruz County contains several different climates, the city of Santa Cruz itself enjoys mild temperatures throughout the year. The winters are cool and wet while the summers are warm and dry, though its proximity to Monterey Bay can result in foggy or overcast weather in the mornings and evenings.
Where do rich people live in Santa Cruz?
In Santa Cruz probably the most expensive neighborhoods would be Pasatiempo, Moore Creek Estates, and Westlake. One could argue though that the lower West Side neighborhood is the most expensive for what you get.
Where is the nice part of Santa Cruz?
Seabright. Many people call the coastal neighborhood of Seabright their favorite in Santa Cruz. It’s easy to see why with things like the harbor, fabulous restaurants, and a long stretch of beach! Made up of a variety of housing styles, everything from studio apartments to multi-million dollar luxury homes.
Is Santa Barbara for rich people?
3. Yes, there are a lot of rich people who live near Santa Barbara (Oprah spent $50 million on her digs in nearby Montecito) but most of the people who live in the city proper are decidedly not wealthy. At the 2000 Census, the median household income in Santa Barbara was $47,498. The per capita income was only $26,466.
Does it snow in Santa Cruz CA?
Santa Cruz, California gets 33 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Santa Cruz averages 0 inches of snow per year.
Is Santa Cruz a part of the Bay Area?
Santa Cruz County comprises the Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area.
| Santa Cruz County, California | |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Region | Central Coast |
| CSA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland |
| Incorporated | February 18, 1850 |
Is Capitola CA a good place to live?
Living in Capitola offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Capitola there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Capitola and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Capitola are highly rated.
Is Santa Cruz ocean cold?
Throughout the year, the water temperature in Santa Cruz does not rise above 68°F and therefore is not suitable for comfortable swimming. The average water temperature in Santa Cruz in winter reaches 54.7°F, in spring 53.4°F, in summer the average temperature rises to 56.5°F, and in autumn it is 57.7°F.
Is Santa Cruz beautiful?
Santa Cruz has exceptional sunsets, and a few good spots to catch it from are the Santa Cruz wharf or Natural Bridges State Beach. Natural Bridges is a beautiful place to go at any time of day – set on West Cliff Drive, it’s a good place to take a break and soak it all in.
