Posted by Gregg Camp on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 1:40:08 PM By Gregg Camp / February 28, 2024 Comment
Santa Cruz is a premier destination in California. It draws several tourists every year for its location on Monterey Bay and its amazing temperate weather all year long. Santa Cruz is also a very popular city in California to move. For this reason, many people considering moving to Santa Cruz California, and one of the most asked questions in search engines is if Santa Cruz is a nice place to live. So let's answer this question.
Is Santa Cruz nice to live in?
According to the website niche.com Santa Cruz is regarded as one of the best places to live in the state of California. Let's take a look into all of the major pros and cons of living in Santa Cruz so that you can form your own opinion about one of our favorite places to live in California.
Pros of living in Santa Cruz
The Weather
The City of Santa Cruz has 250 days of sunshine per year on average, there could be more or less. The average amount of sunny days for the state of California is just 46 making this one of California's rays of sunshine. There is great weather all year in Santa Cruz. The temperature can drop to around 40° in fall but it is never too cold to enjoy the outdoors here. Being able to enjoy the outdoors earlier is one of the biggest perks of Santa Cruz.
The Landscape
Speaking of enjoying the outdoors there are several ways to enjoy the outdoors in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has it all when it comes to enjoying nature. There are mountains, there are towering forests, and then of course there are the most amazing beach and surf conditions anywhere. Santa Cruz is known as the birthplace of surfing culture in California so the beach has a long popular history here but the beach is not the only amazing storybook-like landscape you'll find. The Majestic redwood forests are located in Santa Cruz as are the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Culture
Santa Cruz offers a funky quirky culture with an amazing arts and entertainment scene. Outside of enjoying the outdoors and amazing countless activities of the beach and the forest there's plenty to do indoors as well, especially if you enjoy the arts both performing and non. There are several museums in Santa Cruz including the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Learn more about the amazing wildlife, especially in the waters of Monterey Bay at the Santa Cruz Marine Discovery Center. Children will love the ability to play and learn at the same time at the Santa Cruz Children's Museum.
Education
Santa Cruz has a highly ranked education system both in public schools, private schools, and furthering education. Santa Cruz is popularly known as the home of UC Santa Cruz which is a public liberal arts college. This college offers 65 undergraduate majors and 41 graduate programs. If you are looking for a fantastic spot to move with your family Santa Cruz is a great choice.
Healthcare
Santa Cruz offers some of the best healthcare in Central California. Santa Cruz offers its own healthcare division including health benefit programs, prescription relief programs, and health advocacy programs. There are extensive healthcare resources for Santa Cruz residents in their golden years. You will also find great coverage for children and an amazing system of mental health offerings.
Cons of Santa Cruz Living
Cost of Living
Because Santa Cruz is such a desirable place to live it comes at a higher cost of living. The average home price in Santa Cruz is $645,000 and many homes can go well into several millions of dollars, especially for dream properties overlooking the boardwalk and the most popular beaches in California. The cost of living in Santa Cruz is 85% higher than the national average. But with the right real estate agent you can find a Santa Cruz area home within your price range. Santa Cruz may be a shock if you are relocating from areas of the country like the South and Midwest but it is not so highly priced as compared to the rest of the state.
Traffic
With the increasing popularity and population comes some more traffic. This is also due to the fact that Santa Cruz is a college town and is home to many large industries. With several hotspots in Santa Cruz County, the actual city of Santa Cruz does have a lot of people traveling. Highway 17 and Highway 1 can get pretty compact during peak times of the day.
So the answer to a question is Santa Cruz a nice place to live in, is a resounding yes. There are some drawbacks to living in Santa Cruz but what area does not come with a downside? Santa Cruz has long been one of the most desirable places to live in California for many reasons. If you are considering relocating to Santa Cruz I am here to help. I am here to help you find a home that you will love within your home-buying budget. Contact me anytime with any Santa Cruz real estate needs.
