Watsonville, CA vs Scotts Valley, CA

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

MetricWatsonville, CAScotts Valley, CA
Population51,71212,044
Median Household Income$78,393$143,750
Median Rent$1,889/mo$2,491/mo
Median Home Value$686,000$1,105,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income53.1%46.5%
Poverty Rate14.7%5.9%
Unemployment Rate12.5%6.3% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k415213
Property Crime Rate /100k9921,594
Median AQI3535
Good AQI Days /yr320320
Summer Highs72°F88°F
Winter Lows40°F38°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute26.1 min24.9 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher21.924.5
College Degree Rate12.4%55.6%
Foreign-Born %35.5%12.8%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-3.5%-4.7%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.