Watsonville, CA
Census place 0683668 · pop 51,712
Sitting in the fertile Pajaro Valley, it bills itself as the "Strawberry Capital of the World" and hosts an annual Strawberry Festival.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
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.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
12.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
22.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,225/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
44.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$686,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-3.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
33.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
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.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
425 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
14.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1196 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$78,393 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
32.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
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.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.64% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
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.
Frequently asked
- Is Watsonville, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Watsonville scores 30/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unhealthy air days and its weakest is unemployment rate. 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 Watsonville, CA?
- Watsonville reports 425 violent crimes per 100k and 1196 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Watsonville, CA expensive to live in?
- Watsonville has a median home value of $686,000 and typical rent around $3,225/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Watsonville, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (6.2%) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Watsonville, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unhealthy air days (0 days) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Sitting in the fertile Pajaro Valley, it bills itself as the "Strawberry Capital of the World" and hosts an annual Strawberry Festival.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.