Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Cost of Living & Economic Score
Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis cost-of-living and household-budget data for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan statistical area.
Cost of living in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, prices in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan area run 21.8% above the U.S. average (Regional Price Parity index 121.8 on a base of 100). That makes Santa Cruz-Watsonville one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the country.
For broader state context — including state taxes, insurance, and energy costs that affect every California household — see the California state report.
Explore Santa Cruz-Watsonville in the live dashboard →Other California metros
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- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA RPP 115.0 F
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA RPP 114.0 F
- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA RPP 114.5 F
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA RPP 108.0 D
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA RPP 102.0 C
- Fresno, CA RPP 93.0 B
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About the InflationRank Score
The InflationRank Score is a proprietary 0–100 composite that summarizes a metro area's cost-of-living and economic conditions on a familiar A–F grading scale. The composite weighs cost level, inflation pressure, and income resilience, sourced from federal government datasets and reviewed annually as federal data refreshes.
Underlying data is drawn from authoritative federal economic agencies and public housing datasets. See full data sources →