Assisted Living Facilities in Santa Cruz, California

CaringScore for Santa Cruz, CA

CaringScore was designed to help millions of Americans find the best places to retire, age in place, or receive eldercare. The CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Santa Cruz was based on more than 50 factors in three key categories: health, cost, and livability. By compiling and analyzing this data, Caring.com is able to rate the quality of life you or a loved one might expect should you choose assisted living facilities in Santa Cruz.

A CaringScore can range from 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and provides a quick way to compare cities, counties, and even specific zip codes. With a CaringScore of 5.1, Santa Cruz is on par with the national average for those seeking assisted living facilities.

The charts below highlight a few of the factors we used to calculate the CaringScore for Santa Cruz. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Santa Cruz, CA

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Santa Cruz, rates a region on a scale of 1 (less healthful) to 10 (more healthful). It's specifically tailored to anyone looking for assisted living facilities. The HealthScore for Santa Cruz is based on the availability of healthcare resources, air and water quality, the overall health of the local population, and other key factors. With a HealthScore of 6.9, Santa Cruz rates above average for those seeking assisted living facilities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults seeking assisted living facilities. At 250 physicians per capita, Santa Cruz scores 13.4 percent better than the national average. Santa Cruz trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 38.5 percent, with 0.8, and scores 19.0 percent below the national average in specialists per capita, with 15.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Santa Cruz is 80.3 years -- 3.1 percent higher than most of the country. Air quality in Santa Cruz -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 14.5 percent above average, and water quality -- another key measure of Santa Cruz's environmental health -- trails the national average by 47.3 percent.

Doctors Per Capita	Santa Cruz, CA	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	250	220.5
Geriatricians	0.8	1.3
Cardiologists	5.4	7.7
Oncologists	2.3	3.5
Orthopedists	7.3	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Santa Cruz, CA

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Santa Cruz, rates the cost of living for older adults on a scale of 1 (more expensive) to 10 (less expensive). It's specifically tailored to people looking for assisted living facilities. The CostScore for Santa Cruz is based on data such as the average monthly cost of assisted living facilities in the region, the cost of housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 2.8, the costs associated with assisted living facilities in Santa Cruz are generally more expensive than the national average.

The average monthly cost for assisted living facilities in Santa Cruz is $3,875 , which is 18.8 percent more expensive than the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Santa Cruz indexes at 88.0 percent higher than the national average. Average healthcare costs are 16.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 280.0 percent more expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Santa Cruz, CA
Aggregate Index	188
Healthcare Index	116
Housing Index	380
Food Index	112
Utilities Index	97
Transportation Index	108

Assisted Living Facilities Avg Monthly Cost (US$)

LivabilityScore for Santa Cruz, CA

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for assisted living facilities in Santa Cruz. On a scale of 1 (less livable) to 10 (more livable), it's a rating of the quality of life in a region, specifically tailored to those looking for assisted living facilities. The LivabilityScore for Santa Cruz is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 5.7, Santa Cruz rates above average for assisted living facilities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for assisted living facilities. The sun shines an average of 262 days each year in Santa Cruz, 27.8 percent more sunny days than the rest of the U.S. sees. With an average temperature of 39°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Santa Cruz than in other parts of the country, and summers are often more temperate than other places, averaging 74°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Santa Cruz is 75.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 50.0 percent higher than average. At $66,844 per year, the population of Santa Cruz earns a better than average median household income. Santa Cruz has an unemployment rate of 12.30 percent, roughly 35.2 percent higher than the national average. And about 9.61 percent of the population in Santa Cruz is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which trails the national average by 27.0 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Santa Cruz	Nat'l Avg
Parks	21.9	136.1
Libraries	5.1	18.8
Places of Worship	58.7	220.5
Public Transit	25.6	110.4
Grocery Stores	175.5	97.7
Pharmacies	10.6	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65