Relocation profile · Federal data
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools and environment for Santa Cruz-Watsonville - every figure straight from federal data.
- 109.9
- Cost index (US=100)
- $4,214
- 2BR rent / mo
- $80,687
- Median salary
- 31.9
- LiveAbility Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Santa Cruz-Watsonville ranks #362 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (31.9/100), with its strongest marks in job market and climate.
- #362
- of 387 US metros · Well below median
- 39,431,263
- metro-area population
- 477
- violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
- 10,006
- schools in the state (NCES)
Weakest dimension: housing (0/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and five other federal agencies, Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a cost-of-living index of 109.9 (100 = national average), a median 2-bedroom rent of $4,214/mo, and a median salary of $80,687. Its composite LiveAbility Score is 31.9/100, ranking #362 of 387 U.S. metros, with its strongest marks in job market and climate.
How Santa Cruz-Watsonville ranks nationally
Where Santa Cruz-Watsonville's LiveAbility Score falls among all 387 US metros scored.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has liveability score of 31.9. Distribution: 0 US metros at 0-10; 0 US metros at 10-20; 21 US metros at 20-30; 41 US metros at 30-40; 110 US metros at 40-50; 159 US metros at 50-60; 50 US metros at 60-70; 6 US metros at 70-80; 0 US metros at 80-90; 0 US metros at 90-100.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: BEA RPP 109.9 (US=100), HUD 2BR rent $4,214/mo, BLS median salary $80,687, FBI violent crime 477/100K (state), NCES 10,006 schools (state), composite Life Score 38.9/100 (F). Source methodology + Life Score formula →
Relocation decisions rarely hinge on a single number. A metro with high salaries but a steep cost of living can leave less disposable income than a cheaper market, and a low crime rate matters more to some households than school options or commute times. The composite Life Score blends federal cost, wage, safety, and education data into one comparable figure, but each underlying component is shown separately so you can weight what matters to your own situation. Read every metric against your priorities rather than chasing the highest headline score, and confirm the latest figures on the official source before you commit to a move.
Key Metrics
Housing & Rent
HUD Fair Market Rents for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metropolitan area. Regional housing cost index: 164.3 (100 = national average).
Wages & Employment
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has 91,730 total employment with a median salary of $80,687.
Top Occupations by Employment
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,320 |
| Office Clerks, General | $41,040 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $43,400 |
| Cashiers | $37,390 |
| Retail Salespersons | $38,620 |
Schools & Education
State-level education data for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville area from NCES.
Childcare Costs
State-average childcare costs for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville area (DOL data).
Life Score Breakdown
Santa Cruz-Watsonville's composite Life Score is 38.9/100 (F), computed across 7 dimensions.
LiveAbility Score
View full rankings →Santa Cruz-Watsonville ranks #362 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 31.9/100 - a composite of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →
Santa Cruz-Watsonville - dimension scores
Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Job market
Job market
96 /100
- Climate
Climate
90 /100
- Air quality
Air quality
75 /100
- Safety 9
Safety
9 /100
- Low hazard 8
Low hazard
8 /100
- Schools 4
Schools
4 /100
- Cost of living 3
Cost of living
3 /100
- Housing 0
Housing
0 /100
What this shows Santa Cruz-Watsonville's strongest dimensions are job market and climate; its weakest is housing at 0/100. The composite weights cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.
Compare Santa Cruz-Watsonville To
Explore More Santa Cruz-Watsonville Data
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for Santa Cruz-Watsonville with these specialized data portals.
💰
Cost of Living
BEA Regional Price Parities for Santa Cruz-Watsonville - goods, services, and rent price indexes compared to national average.
PlainCost →
🏠
Fair Market Rents
HUD Fair Market Rents by county near Santa Cruz-Watsonville - studio through 4-bedroom, with year-over-year trends.
PlainRent →
🏫
School Quality
NCES school data near Santa Cruz-Watsonville - enrollment, student-teacher ratios, Title I status, and chronic absenteeism.
PlainSchools →
💵
Salary Data
BLS occupational wage data for Santa Cruz-Watsonville - 830+ occupations with median and mean salaries.
WageDex →
📊
Metro Life Score
Santa Cruz-Watsonville composite life score across 7 dimensions, cost, safety, schools, wages, weather, health, and environment.
PlainCompare →
🔓
Crime Data
FBI UCR crime statistics for cities near Santa Cruz-Watsonville - violent crime, property crime, and trends.
PlainCrime →
📍
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics, income, and housing data for ZIP codes near Santa Cruz-Watsonville.
PlainZIP →
Relocation Guides for Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Other Major Metro Areas
Explore relocation data for other major US metropolitan areas.
Compare Santa Cruz-Watsonville Side-by-Side With Other Metros
This page is a relocation deep-dive on Santa Cruz-Watsonville - cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools, and more. When you're narrowing a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison across the same dimensions is faster. Put Santa Cruz-Watsonville on the same scorecard as the metro you're weighing it against and see at a glance which move actually comes out ahead.
Thinking about Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
How to use this profile before you commit to a move.
- Pressure-test Santa Cruz-Watsonville against the metro you're weighing it against, same dimensions, side by side. Compare metros
- Check what your salary is actually worth here after the 109.9 cost-of-living index. Salary calculator
- Re-rank every US metro by the priorities that matter to you, turn up jobs, turn down climate. City Finder
Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Crime and schools use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
What is the median salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
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Is Santa Cruz-Watsonville a good place to relocate?
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, HUD, BLS, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) - cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - metro-level fair-market rent estimates. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) - wage estimates by metro. bls.gov/oes
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - crime statistics for safety scoring. fbi.gov/ucr
- NCES Common Core of Data - public-school quality indicators, state-level where metro-level isn't published. nces.ed.gov/ccd
- EPA AirNow + Air Quality System (AQS) - air-quality measurements, state-level where metro-level isn't published. epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic + housing characteristics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Verify with FEMA →
Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.