Carson, CA vs Santa Cruz, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Carson

63.8

#1737 nationally

Santa Cruz

60.5

#1932 nationally

Carson leads in crime level (11.5 vs 16.8). Carson leads in cost of living index (154 vs 205). Santa Cruz leads in average commute (22.2 min vs 27.6 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Carson, CA	Santa Cruz, CA
WhereAtHome Score	63.8 (#1737)	60.5 (#1932)
Population	91,139	61,501
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$796,912	$1,360,355
Median Household Income	$103,045	$105,491
Average Commute	27.6 min	22.2 min
Walk Score	55	63
Crime Level	11.5	16.8
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	154	205
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+32.9	D+54.4