Scotts Valley, CA

Census place 0670588 · pop 12,044

D51/ 100
😐 Meh
B
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Uninsured4.4% · top 4%
🚽 Rent$4,236/mo · bottom 2%
Taxes
0.72% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Rent$4,236/mo2

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$4,236/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost$1,105,7003

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$1,105,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Unemployment rateCounty-level6.2%3

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

6.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Income inequality0.4817

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Natural disaster riskCounty-level98/10020

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

98/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Violent crime rate306/100k34

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

306 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Property crime rate1623/100k39

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

1623 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Population growth (5yr)+1.5%40

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+1.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Commute time25 min43

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Property-tax burden0.72%71

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.72% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Air quality (AQI)County-level39 AQI73

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

39 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership73.6%75

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

73.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poor mental health14.9%79

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Poverty rate5.9%81

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

5.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Bachelor's degree or higher55.6%87

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

55.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult smoking8.6%89

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

8.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Physical inactivity16.3%92

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

16.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Median household income$143,75093

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$143,750 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult obesity23.9%94

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

23.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Broadband access97.7%96

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

97.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Uninsured adults4.4%96

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

4.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Frequently asked

Is Scotts Valley, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Scotts Valley scores 51/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is rent. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Scotts Valley, CA?
Scotts Valley reports 306 violent crimes per 100k and 1623 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Scotts Valley, CA expensive to live in?
Scotts Valley has a median home value of $1,105,700 and typical rent around $4,236/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Scotts Valley, CA?
Its weakest measured area is rent ($4,236/mo) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Scotts Valley, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (4.4%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.