Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety63#345/924
Economy73#251/925
Housing5#876/925
Health91#80/925
Healthcare99#7/923
Environment100#4/917
Education79#196/925
Infrastructure90#98/925
Community61#360/925
Leisure & amenities94#55/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Comfortable days · high57.3%
100/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · high98.3%
99/100California 94.3%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high977 /100k
99/100California 487 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Median household income · high$111,093
99/100California $100,130United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.3 /10k
98/100California 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low0%
98/100California 9%United States 43%Nov 2025–Oct 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Cost of buying a home today · high76.1%
0/100California 54.7%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Home price to income ratio · high9.3×
0/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Severe housing problems · high25.4%
1/100California 25.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high6.3%
4/100California 5.5%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.483
14/100California 0.489United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Social associations · low7.7 /10k
16/100California 6.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
83% (2021) → 0% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
−83 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
2 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
59.2% (Dec 2021) → 76.1% (Aug 2026)
+17 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Homicide rateImproving
5.8 /100k (2021) → 1.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−69%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
24.0% (2020 & 2021) → 32.3% (2023 & 2024)
+8.2 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
New business applicationsImproving
6.4 /1k (2020) → 8.9 /1k (2025)
+39%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area improved on 17 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 4 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved17

Rent / income−4.1 points35.2% → 31.1%
Commute−2.1 min27.7 min → 25.7 min
Rent burden−7.4 points59.1% → 51.7%
Homicides−65%5.2 /100k → 1.8 /100k
Household income+35%$82,234 → $111,093

Declined5

Transit use−1.1 points3.0% → 1.9%
Overdose deaths+14%20.0 /100k → 22.9 /100k
Suicides+18%10.7 /100k → 12.6 /100k
Firearm deaths+13%4.8 /100k → 5.4 /100k
Traffic deaths+18%7.3 /100k → 8.6 /100k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.0 /10k2020	6.4 /10k2025	+26%	Improved	83%
Average commute time	27.7 min2015-2019	25.7 min2020-2024	−2.1 min	Improved	96%
Average weekly wage	$1,1552020	$1,3492025	+17%	Improved	8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	40.8%2015-2019	43.9%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	57%
Broadband subscriptions	87.3%2015-2019	94.2%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Improved	22%
Child poverty rate	14.0%2015-2019	11.9%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Improved	47%
Distance to an airport	27 mi2020	27 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	20.0 /100k2020	22.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+14%	Declined	20%
Effective property tax rate	0.67%2015-2019	0.60%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	30%
Firearm deaths	4.8 /100k2020	5.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+13%	Declined	32%
Grocery stores	2.4 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	+5%	Little change	68%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.8 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	+24%	Improved	74%
High school diploma or higher	86.3%2015-2019	88.6%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Home price to income ratio	9.2×2015-2019	9.2×2020-2024	+0.0×	Within the margin of error	94%
Homicide rate	5.2 /100k2020	1.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−65%	Improved	88%
Income adjusted for local prices	$62,7582019	$85,1532024	+36%	Improved	75%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4822015-2019	0.4832020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	51%
Median household income	$82,2342015-2019	$111,0932020-2024	+35%	Improved	86%
New business applications	6.4 /1k2020	8.9 /1k2025	+39%	Improved	39%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−1.9%	Little change	65%
Poverty rate	13.1%2015-2019	11.6%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Improved	64%
Property crime rate	2,266 /100k2020	1,436 /100k2025	−37%	Improved	57%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+4.4%	Little change	85%
Public transit commuters	3.0%2015-2019	1.9%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Declined	13%
Rent as share of income	35.2%2015-2019	31.1%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Improved	96%
Rent-burdened households	59.1%2015-2019	51.7%2020-2024	−7.4 points	Improved	94%
Restaurants and bars	9.9 /10k2020	9.9 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	45%
Suicide rate	10.7 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+18%	Declined	28%
Traffic deaths	7.3 /100k2015-2019	8.6 /100k2020-2024	+18%	Declined	30%
Unemployment rate	9.6%2020	6.3%2025	−3.3 points	Improved	59%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.0%2015-2019	5.9%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Violent crime rate	357 /100k2020	332 /100k2025	−6.9%	Improved	37%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area itself moved +2.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

264,926 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 women (+1.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

264,926 residents

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

White54%142,831
Black0.7%1,912
Hispanic or Latino35%93,346

Education

178,903 residents (±207)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

No high school diploma11%20,421
High school or GED15%27,233
Some college21%37,281

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

96,898 households (±687)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

Under $25k12%11,271
$25k–50k11%10,840
$50k–75k11%10,940
$75k–100k12%11,163
$100k–150k17%16,919
$150k–200k12%11,531
$200k or more25%24,234

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+9.6 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

96,898 households (±687)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

Own60%58,079
Rent40%38,819

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

36,919 households (±1,049)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

Under $7508.7%3,211
$750–1,0003.8%1,385
$1,000–1,5009.8%3,615

Home values

58,079 homes (±1,134)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

Under $150k3.7%2,150
$150k–250k2.2%1,265
$250k–400k3.7%2,166

Age of homes

106,977 homes (±177)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

2010 or later4.5%4,791
2000–20098.3%8,827
1980–199924%25,548

Size of homes

106,977 homes (±177)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

Studio6.3%6,779
1 bedroom11%12,298
2 bedrooms32%34,243
3 bedrooms

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

125,770 workers (±1,985)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

Drive alone62%78,208
Carpool8.2%10,250
Public transit1.9%2,384
Walk4.2%5,280
Bike2.2%2,741
Work from home19%24,267
Other2.1%2,640

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+11.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

101,503 workers (±2,161)

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
United States share

Under 15 min30%30,257
15–29 min35%35,728
30–44 min16%16,625

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA employ 23,930 people. 7 pay a median above the US median and 3 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides4,470 jobs	4,470	$34,320US $35,800	−4%	1.64×
Office Clerks, General3,360 jobs	3,360	$41,040US $45,010	−9%	2.15×
Fast Food and Counter Workers3,220 jobs	3,220	$43,400US $31,200	+39%	1.32×
Cashiers2,530 jobs	2,530	$37,390US $32,880	+14%	1.29×
Retail Salespersons2,430 jobs	2,430	$38,620US $35,410	+9%	0.98×
General and Operations Managers1,770 jobs	1,770	$105,360US $105,770	0%	0.8×
Registered Nurses1,750 jobs	1,750	$170,960US $97,550	+75%	0.82×
Waiters and Waitresses1,640 jobs	1,640	$35,930US $35,230	+2%	1.14×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,510 jobs	1,510	$40,780US $36,840	+11%	1.08×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,250 jobs	1,250	$38,710US $37,330	+4%	0.7×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA has 7,136 employer establishments, 271 for every 10,000 residents (1.09× the US rate of 248), with 80,209 paid employees at an average annual pay of $61,778. The Census Bureau also counts 23,111 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 7,136; 23,111 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 271; US 248
Paid employees: 80,209
Average annual pay: $61,778; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	625	23.7	1.14×About typical	6,025	$89,700	1,585
Restaurants and other eating places	553	21	1.14×About typical	9,801	$28,615	76
Specialty trade contractors	518	19.7	1.27×More than typical	2,941	$72,550	998
Lessors of real estate	384	14.6	1.18×About typical	1,416	$58,233	2,324
Construction of buildings	355	13.5	1.78×More than typical	1,247	$67,773	828
Full-service restaurants	235	8.9	1.16×About typical	4,675	$30,582	24
Services to buildings and dwellings	228	8.7	1.28×More than typical	2,198	$61,437	1,095
Management, scientific and technical consulting	223	8.5	1.26×More than typical	743	$88,795	1,323
Offices of other health practitioners	213	8.1	1.33×More than typical	882	$42,553	1,072
Limited-service restaurants	206	7.8	0.98×About typical	3,656	$28,227	23
Building equipment contractors	200	7.6	1.26×More than typical	1,228	$78,393	242
Offices of physicians	190	7.2	1.11×About typical	2,174	$129,821	218

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 263,322 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $41.3M on contracts performed in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area: $160 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $41.3M; −53% vs FY2025
Per resident: $160; US $2,008
Sole-source: 7.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.6%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

DEL MAR FOOD PRODUCTS CORP.$18.6M45%
OHSIX LOGISTICS, LLC$6.6M16%
CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS GROUP, LLC$3.2M7.8%
DONATINI, INC.$1.8M4.4%
S.E.A. CONSTRUCTION LLC$1.7M4.1%

Spending by fiscal year

29.8MFY2017
42.3MFY2018
73.6MFY2019
59.4MFY2020
98MFY2021
52.5MFY2022
82.3MFY2023
87.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing · 3114$20.2M49%
Dairy product manufacturing · 3115$6.5M16%
Forest nurseries and gathering of forest products · 1132$3.2M7.8%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$2M4.7%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$1.9M4.6%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812

Largest awards

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: THIS PROJECT IS FOR THE REACH 6 LEVEE AND FLOODWALL CONSTRUCTION ALONG THE CORRALITOS CREEK, A TRIBUTARY OF THE PAJARO RIVER LEVEE SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ.$39.7M
GRANITE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY· Santa Cruz County, CA· Construction & real property· Sep 5, 2025 – May 27, 2026· W912P725CA018
CA FLAP SCR T5(1) MONTEREY BAY SANCTUARY SCENIC TRAIL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT$33.6M
JOSEPH J. ALBANESE, INC.· Santa Cruz County, CA· Construction & real property· Apr 25, 2024 – Sep 22, 2026· 6982AF24C000016
FEMA 2020 CA WILDFIRES DISASTER RESPONSE ON ERRS 5 CONTRACT NO. 68HE0919D0001. TO NO. 9034.$7.4M
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT, INC· Santa Cruz County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Sep 10, 2020 – Apr 10, 2026· 68HE0920F0095

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.8B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area: $6,873 per resident (US $12,990).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.8B; −5.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,873; US $12,990
Loan face value: $47.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.1B63%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$156.4M8.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$68.8M3.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$67.6M3.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$65.6M3.7%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$46.4M2.6%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$28.9M1.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$27.5M1.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ$160.9M9.0%
CAPITOLA, CA
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ$96.7M5.4%
SANTA CRUZ, CA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$59.6M3.4%
SACRAMENTO, CA
CABRILLO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT FINANCING CORPORATION$14.8M0.8%
APTOS, CA
SALUD PARA LA GENTE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.3B72%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$158.8M8.9%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$81.5M4.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$60.2M3.4%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

1.7BFY2021
1.4BFY2022
1.6BFY2023
1.7BFY2024
1.9BFY2025
1.8BFY2026

County aggregates

78%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Santa Cruz CountyCentral county79258,852

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in California

Areas based in California, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M42100

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved17

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in California

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved17

Declined5

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought