Live Oak, CA vs Santa Cruz, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricLive Oak, CASanta Cruz, CA
Population16,91161,607
Median Household Income$103,674$115,475
Median Rent$2,421/mo$2,452/mo
Median Home Value$1,015,200$1,209,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income52.9%51.3%
Poverty Rate12.9%17%
Unemployment Rate6.3% (county)4.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k174*533
Property Crime Rate /100k690*2,529
Median AQI3535
Good AQI Days /yr320320
Summer Highs75°F75°F
Winter Lows42°F42°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute21.9 min22.8 min
Hospitals3—
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher22.520.4
College Degree Rate40.8%57.6%
Foreign-Born %15.4%13.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+0.2%-3.8%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Live Oak (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.