ZIP Code 95060

Scotts Valley is a small city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, about thirty miles (48 km) south of downtown San Jose and six miles (10 km) north of the city of Santa Cruz. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 12,224. The city was incorporated in 1966 and was named after Hiram Daniel Scott, who purchased Rancho San Agustin, including the valley, in 1850 from Joseph Ladd Majors. The area was the site of Santa's Village, a Christmas-themed amusement park which opened on May 30, 1957, on a 25-acre (10 ha) site which was formerly Lawridge Farm. Netflix was founded in Scotts Valley by Marc Reed and Marc Randolph in 1997. The most famous resident was film director Alfred Hitchcock, who lived in a mountaintop estate above the Vine Hill from 1940 to 1972, made famous by Dorothea Lange's Mother's Migrant photograph, and died in Scotted Valley in 1972. The town is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the northern part of which are the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Jose Bay Area. It is home to the San Luis Obispo County Museum of Art and Science, which is located on the edge of the town of San Luis Potosi. The Santa Cruz River runs through the city, leading to the town's central business district, which was once known as the "Gateway to the West" The city has a population of 12,223.

History

Scotts Valley is the primary city name, but also Santa Cruz are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Scotts Valley. Archeological excavations of site CA-SCR-177 in 1983 and 1987 support dates for human settlement of this area as between 9,000 to 12,000 years before present. The area was the site of Santa's Village, a Christmas-themed amusement park which opened on May 30, 1957. Scotts Valley was named after Hiram Daniel Scott, who purchased Rancho San Agustin, including the valley, in 1850 from Joseph Ladd Majors. Before Majors, the property was owned by José Bolcoff, the original settler and first European to claim title and live in what was to beScotts Valley. Florence Owens Thompson's Migrant Mother, made famous by Dorothea Lange's photograph in 1972, was founded in Scotts valley in 1983. Netflix was founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in 1997, and moved to the area in 2000. The city's most famous resident was film director Alfred Hitchcock, who lived in a mountaintop estate above the Vine Hill area from 1940 to 1972. The town is home to the Santa Cruz County Historical Trust Landmark, a Greek revival style Scott House built in 1853. The house originally stood on Scotting Valley Drive, near where a Bank of America branch is now located. The park was sold in 1966 but continued to be operated under lease by theSanta's Village Corporation. When that corporation went bankrupt in 1977, the owner considered launching a Knott's Berry Farm type of complex but was denied a permit by the city.

Economy

Scotts Valley was established as a stop on the stage route across the mountains in the early 20th century. The town is surrounded by coast redwood forests. The city of Santa Cruz lies to the south. The top employers in the city are:. Netflix's first headquarters were established in Scotts Valley by Reed Hastings, a Stanford graduate, in 1997. The University of California, Santa Cruz signed a 20-year lease to occupy the former Borland headquarters establishing its Scotts valley Center in May 2016. E-mu Systems, Seagate Technology, Sessions, and Borland Software Corporation were all formerly headquartered in Scotting Valley.Zero Motorcycles manufactures all-electric motorcycles in Scotted Valley. The area is also near Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Henry Cowell Redwoods state Park, and Roaring Camp Railroads. The Skypark Airport was established in the year 1990. A relatively large municipal skateboard park, where pro skateboarder Eric Costello died in October 2005 due to improper helmet use, is near Skypark, the site of a former airport, in central ScottsValley. In the early 1920s, Edward Evers established Camp Evers at the junction of the State Highway and Mt. Hermon Road. The Beverly Gardens featured a collection of exotic birds and animals, a restaurant, and cabins. The Tree Circus opened in 1947, featuring trees grafted and trained in strange and unusual shapes. Bright "life size" painted dinosaurs overlooking Highway 17 were added to the Tree Circus in 1964 when it changed its name to The Lost World.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,385 people, 4,273 households, and 2,969 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 88.63% White, 0.48% African American, 0.40% Native American, 4.62% Asian, 0,18% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 3.53% from two or more races. The Census reported that 11,308 people (97.7% of the population) lived in households, 264 (2.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 8 (0.1%) were institutionalized. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.03. The median income for a household in Scotts Valley was $72,449, and for a family of four or more, the median income was $88,573. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population will reach 11,580 by the end of the year. The city has a population density of 2,520.4 inhabitants per square mile (973.1/km²) and a population growth rate of 1.6% from the previous year to the year of 2010. The population was spread out, with 2,863 people (24.7%) under the age of 18, 969 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 2,513 people (21.7) aged 25 to 44, 3,660 people (31.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,575 people (13.6) aged 65 or older.

Government

In the state legislature, Scotts Valley is in the 17th Senate District, represented by Democrat John Laird, and in the 29th Assembly District. Federally,Scotts Valley is in California's 18th congressional district,represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo. The town has a population of about 2,000. It is located in the central part of the Santa Cruz Mountains, near the town of Santa Cruz. The area is known for its redwood trees, which have been a source of controversy in the past. It has also been known to be a hotbed of methamphetamine production. It also has a reputation for being a good place to raise a child, with many of its residents raising their children in the town's own homes. The community has a history of having a high percentage of first-time homebuyers, and a high rate of home ownership. The city has also had a high number of births, with more than 1,000 recorded in the last decade. It was the site of the first U.S. Air Force base, which was built in the early 1950s. It's also the birthplace of the California Air National Guard, which has been stationed in the area since the 1960s. In the town, there are about 1,500 residents, most of whom were born in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The region has a long history of being a hot spot for methamphetamine production, particularly in the San Francisco Bay area.

Education

From 1950 to 2011, Scotts Valley was home to Bethany University, a four-year private Christian university. Olivet University was unable to complete a purchase and moved back to San Francisco in May 2012. The parent Assemblies of God denomination is seeking another buyer for the campus. Baymonte Christian School serves students from pre-Kindergarten through eighth grades. Monterey Coast Preparatory School, a private school offering a college preparatory curriculum for middle and high schoolers with learning differences, moved from its original location in Santa Cruz toScotts Valley in 2014. The district operates four public schools and two elementary schools: Vine Hill School (grades Kindergarten to 5) and Brook Knoll School. They also operate an Independent Study/Home School program. Together these schools serve more than 2,600 students each year. The school district is part of the San Francisco Bay Area Unified School District, which also includes Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. In 2003, it earned the distinction of being a Blue Ribbon School, which is awarded to one school in 25 across the nation. It is a non-denominational Protestant Bible school that was founded in 1968. It offers a curriculum for students in pre- kindergarten through eighth grade. It also offers an independent study/home school program for students who want to learn more about their faith. It was founded by a group of parents who were inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ, who was born into a broken family.

Former venues

The Barn was an art gallery and coffee house, with a large area for concerts, on the site of the Frapwell Dairy Barn (1914-1948), in Scotts Valley. Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead performed at The Barn. The Barn as a nightclub closed by 1968, with the Baymonte Christian School taking control of the property. It was resurrected as a dinner theater in an RV park in the 70s, and eventually a warehouse for Seagate Technologies. Santa's Village (Scotts Valley) (1957-1979) was an amusement park, built after Santa'sVillage (Lake Arrowhead) (1950-1998, 2016present), San Bernardino County, California. Borland would later built its campus on the same site in East Dundee, Illinois, located near highway 17, near where Santa's Village was built. Tom Wolfe describes the Merry Pranksters and Ken Kesey, from La Honda, at the Barn, in the last chapter of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. The barn was torn down in 1991, and replaced by a shopping mall, which is still open today. The mall was built before Santa'svillage AZoosment Park (1959-2006, 2011present), located near Highway 17, and built before Borland's campus, which was later built on that site. It is located in Santa Cruz, California, near the intersection of Highway 17 and Aptos Road, and the Santa Cruz Turnpike.

Geography and environment

Scotts Valley is in the west hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. State Route 17 connects Scotts Valley to Santa Cruz to the south and to Los Gatos, San Jose, and the South Bay area to the north. Summers are warm and dry, while winters are mild and generally rainy. Most rain falls as a result of winter Pacific storms between the months of November and April. Sound levels are typically in the range of 57 to 65 dBA, except for somewhat higher levels within 150 feet (46 m) from Highway 17. It has mild weather throughout the year, enjoying a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, mostly dry summers. Due to its proximity to Monterey Bay, fog and low overcast are common during the night and morning hours, especially in the summer. It is located at the southern end of the WWF-designated Northern California coastal forests ecoregion. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km²) It is in central Santa Cruz County, in the northern portion of the North Central Coast Air Basin. The city has a population of 2,816. It was founded in 1858. It's located in the Santa Clara Valley. It lies in the central part of the Central Coast region of California, near the northern tip of the Monterey Peninsula. The town is located on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Infrastructure

Scotts Valley, California, is home to the San Lorenzo Valley Water District. Domestic water supplies are obtained solely from groundwater sources extracted by wells. The Santa Cruz Sky Park, a small recreational airport, closed in 1983. Bus service from Scotts Valley to Santa Cruz, California; the San. Lorenzo Valley; and San Jose, California is provided by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District. The city's wastewater effluent is pumped via the city of Santa Cruz into the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest city in the Central Coast region of the U.S. and one of the largest cities in the state of California. It has a population of more than 100,000 people. The town is located in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, near San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was the site of the World War II-era Battle of the Bulbous, which was fought from 1871 to 1875. It also was the location of the Battle of San Francisco, which took place from 1875 to 1883. The Battle was the first battle of the California Gold Rush, which began in 1875 and ended in 1881. The battle was fought over the ownership of the Santa Clara River, which runs through the town. It's the only river that flows through the city, and it is the source of the city's water supply. The water supply is supplied by two water districts: the San Lorenzo Valley Water District and the Scotts Valle Water District, which supplies the City of Scotts.

Sister cities

Nichinan, Japan is a sister city of Tokyo. The city is located on the island of Honshu in the East of Japan. The two cities share a population of 1.2 million. The town is located in the Honshoku region of the east of the country. It is also known as the "Sister City of the East" and "The Sister City of Hinshoku" The city's population is 1.3 million people, and the city is known as "Hinshokan" by the Japanese. It was founded in 1881 and is the oldest city in the region. It also has a sister town in Japan, the city of Nichinen, Japan, which was established in 1883. The sister city is named after the city's first mayor, who died in 1885. It's also known for its love of the sea, and is known for being a popular tourist destination. It has a twin city, the town of Henshoku, in the north, which is also called Nichinin, Japan. Its population is about 1.4 million people and it is the second-largest city in Japan. It shares a border with Hinshawan, a town in the east, with a city of the same name. Its name means "the city of love" or "the heart of the north" in Japanese. The twin city's name is "Henshukan" and means "home of the heart" in English.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County, California = 95. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 29. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 81. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Scotts Valley = 5.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 12,224 individuals with a median age of 40.4 age the population grows by 1.90% in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,663.18 residents per square mile of area (1,028.70/km²). There are average 2.53 people per household in the 4,385 households with an average household income of $88,848 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.70% of the available work force and has dropped -4.54% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.22%. The number of physicians in Scotts Valley per 100,000 population = 250.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Scotts Valley = 49.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 76. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 255. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 37.1 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 57, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County, California which are owned by the occupant = 71.26%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 28 years with median home cost = $542,120 and home appreciation of -14.06%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.92 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,401 per student. There are 22.2 students for each teacher in the school. 13599.35% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 27.71% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 13.26% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).

Santa Cruz (Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a popular tourist destination, owing to its beaches, surf culture, and historic landmarks. Santa Cruz was founded by the Spanish in 1791, when Fermín de Lasuén established Mission Santa Cruz. With the Mexican secularization of the Californian missions in 1833, the former mission was divided and granted as rancho grants. The creation of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in 1907 solidified the city's status as a seaside resort community, while the establishment of the University of California,Santa Cruz in 1965 led to Santa Cruz's emergence as a college town. The city's original main street is now North Branciforte Avenue. Its original name was Aptos, Soquel and Zayante; and the name of a native shellfish abalone is Aulinta. The only remnants of their spoken language are three local place names: AptOS, Zayantes, and Soquel. The area was home to the Awaswas nation of Ohlone people, who lived in a territory stretching slightly north of Davenport to Rio Del Mar. At the time of colonization, the Indigenous people belonged to the Uypi tribe of theAwaswas-speaking dialectical group. The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition, passed through the area on its way north, still searching for the "port ofMonterey" in 1602.

History

Santa Cruz is the primary city name, but also Bonny Doon, Scotts Valley are acceptable city names or spellings, Paradise Park on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Santa Cruz. The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition passed through the area on its way north, still searching for the "port of Monterey" described by Sebastian Vizcaino in 1602. Prior to the arrival of Spanish soldiers, missionaries and colonists in the late 18th century, the area was home to the Awaswas nation of Ohlone people, who lived in a territory stretching slightly north of Davenport to Rio Del Mar. The only remnants of their spoken language are three local place names: Aptos, Soquel and Zayante; and the name of a native shellfish abalone. At the time of colonization, the Indigenous people belonged to the Uypi tribe of theAwaswas-speaking dialectical group. They called the area Aulinta. Santa Cruz was the first portion of the territory to become a state, established in 1850. It was incorporated as Santa Cruz in the same year as the state of California was established. In 1905, the city was annexed into the City of Santa Cruz. It is located on the San Lorenzo River, which is the main feeder of Neary Lagoon. The town was named after the Viceroy of New Spain, Miguel de la Grúa Talamanca y Branciforte, marqués de Branc iforte. The creek, however, later lost the name, and is known today as Laurel Creek because it parallels Laurel Street. In the 1820s, newly independent Mexico assumed control of the area. Mission farming and grazing lands were taken away and broken up into land grants called ranchos.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 15.8 square miles (41 km²) Santa Cruz is on the northern edge of Monterey Bay. The area is losing several feet of beach a year. To Santa Cruz locals, the area is often discussed in terms of three distinct regions: east side, west side, and midtown. Santa Cruz frequently experiences an Indian summer, with the year's warmest temperatures often occurring in the autumn. Since the city faces south rather than west with mountains to its north, temperatures are usually several degrees warmer than in coastal areas to its northwest. The city has mild weather throughout the year, experiencing a warm-summer Mediterranean climate characterized by mild, wet winters and warm, mostly dry summers. Due to its proximity toMonterey Bay, fog and low overcast are common during the night and morning hours, especially in the summer. The Santa Cruz area has a mild Mediterranean climate, characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters. It has mild winters and mild summers, with mild, dry winters and wet summers. It is one of the few cities in the U.S. to have a year-round hot-and-cold weather forecast. It also has a warm and dry winter, with warm, wet summers and dry winters in the spring and summer. It was founded in 1788. The town was named after Santa Cruz, California, which is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The current mayor of Santa Cruz has been in office since 1978.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Santa Cruz had a population of 59,946. The racial makeup of Santa Cruz was 44,661 (74.5%) White, 1,071 (1.8%) African American, 440 (0.7%) Native American, 4,591 (7.7) Asian, 108 (0.) Pacific Islander, 5,673 (9.5) from other races, and 3,402 (5.7!) from two or more races. The median income for a household in the city was $50,605, and the median income. for a family was $62,231. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was2.98. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 17.3% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.5%. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males. ForEvery 100 females age 18 and over,there were 97.9 males. The city has a population density of 1,682.2/km² (4,356.0/sq mi). There were 21,504 housing units at an average density of 1,715.8 per square mile (662.5/ km²). The racial. makeup of the city is 78.7% White, 17.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7%. African American, 0.9% Native American, 4.9%. Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islanders, 9.1%.

Economy

The principal industries of Santa Cruz are agriculture, tourism, education (UC Santa Cruz) and high technology. Santa Cruz is a center of the organic agriculture movement, and many specialty products as well as housing the headquarters of California Certified Organic Farmers.Technology companies have made Santa Cruz their home since the 1980s. The city is home to many street performers, musicians, and artists, oftentimes creating the presence of background music and miscellaneous street side entertainment when visiting downtown. The top employers within the city were: As of 2020, the top employers were: UC Santa Cruz, Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Intel, and Samsung. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. The redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains above the town, and Monterey Bay, which is protected as a marine sanctuary, are also popular tourist destinations. The town is also home to a number of museums, galleries, and other public spaces that are open to the public, such as the California Museum of Natural History and the California Center for the Humanities, both of which are open year-round. It is also the home to Santa Cruz High School, which was founded in 1875. It was the first public high school in the state of California, and is now the state's second oldest high school. The school is located in the heart of the town and has a population of about 2,000 students. It has a reputation for being a top-rated college, with many top-ranked programs.

Arts and culture

Santa Cruz hosts numerous cultural events and festivals every year. The O'Neill Cold Water Classic is an annual surfing event that draws crowds at the popular Steamer Lane. The Santa Cruz County Symphony, founded in 1958, is a fully professional ensemble of 65 members which presents an annual concert series at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and the Mello Center in Watsonville. The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 destroyed nearly all of the 19th-century buildings in the downtown area. Landmarks on the California Register of Historical Resources include Mission Santa Cruz, Villa de Branciforte, and the Santa Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Santa Cruz politicians tried to stop the mark from being registered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because of a 10-year-old controversy over Santa Cruz's nickname "Surf City" The parties reached a confidential settlement in January 2008, in which neither side admitted liability and all claims and counterclaims were dismissed. The Visitor's Bureau retains the right to use the trademark. None of these registrations of the trademark are on the principal register, but on the secondary register, which means that Huntington Beach has no exclusive right to assert ownership over the "surf City USA" trademark. The Open Studios Art Tour is an art fair has been run for more than three decades and draws artists and patrons from around the area. As of 2016, only one empty lot remains on Pacific Avenue from the destruction of the 1989 earthquake. The Pacific Avenue Historic District had been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

Parks and recreation

Santa Cruz has 11 world-class surf breaks, including the point breaks over rock bottoms near Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point, which create some of the best surfing waves in the world. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is California's oldest amusement park and a designated State Historic Landmark. It is home to the iconic Giant Dipper roller coaster, which is currently the fifth oldest coaster in the United States. The DeLaveaga Disc Golf Course was the venue for the WFDF-sanctioned World Disc Games overall event held in Santa Cruz in July 2005. Santa Cruz is well known for watersports such as sailing, diving, swimming, stand up paddle boarding, paddling, and is regarded as one of the world's best spots for surfing. In recent years, Santa Cruz has become home to several minor-league and amateur sports teams, such as the Santa Cruz Warriors (an NBA G League team) and Santa Cruz Derby Girls (an amateur roller derby league) The city has five community parks and eighteen neighborhood parks, as well as five greenbelt open space properties along the city limits, including Arana Gulch, Moore Creek, and Pogonip. It also has several state parks and beaches, including Lighthouse Field State Beach, Natural Bridges State Beach and Twin Lakes State Beach. Most of the rest of the coastline of Santa Cruz lies adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The city is known for fishing, viewing marine mammals and other recreation, including birding and butterfly watching.

Government

Santa Cruz has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the US, with 9,041 estimated homeless in Santa Cruz county in 2011. In 1973, the district attorney for Santa Cruz County referred to the city as "the murder capital of the world" In recent years, citizen groups such as Take Back Santa Cruz, established in 2009, have lobbied city government and officials to address what they view as a public safety crisis. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Santa Cruz is split between California's 18th congressional district, represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo, and California's 20th congressional districts, representedby Democrat Jimmy Panetta. In California's State Legislature, the city is in the 17th Senate District and the 29th Assembly District. In 2011, over 52% of the homeless experienced some form of mental illness, including clinical depression or PTSD and over 26% suffering unspecified mental illness. 38% of homeless surveyed inSanta Cruz county in 2011 experienced drug and/or alcohol dependency. The 2019 edition of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports data published by the Santa Cruz Police Department showed that crime rates had decreased for all crimes except arson when measured against a five year rolling average. In 2013, a Santa Cruz Sentinel article noted that Santa Cruz had the highest property crime rates per capita for medium and large-sized cities in the state of California. The article noted tourism, police staffing concerns, prolific liquor licenses, widespread availability of drugs, and large numbers of transients as potential causes.

Education

Santa Cruz is home to several educational institutions. The city is served by the Santa Cruz City School District. Notable public schools include Santa Cruz High School and Harbor High School. notable private or charter schools include Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School (a grade 612 private school), Pacific Collegiate School (a grade 712 charter school), Cypress Charter High School, and Monterey Coast Preparatory. UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory is a marine research facility on the western edge of the city. Five Branches University and Cabrillo College are located in nearby Aptos and Watsonville and hold some classes within Santa Cruz city. The University of California, Santa Cruz is the home of the university's flagship college, the University of Santa Cruz, which is located in the city's downtown area. The university also has a campus in Watsonville, where it holds classes in the nearby town of Santa Clara. The Santa Cruz Police Department is based in Santa Cruz and is responsible for patrolling the city and surrounding areas. The police department has been involved in several high-profile incidents, including the shooting of two police officers in 2010. The department has also been involved with the arrest of a suspect in connection with the murder of a woman in San Francisco in 2011. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder, but the case was later dismissed. The California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting. The FBI is also investigating the death of a Santa Cruz police officer in 2012, and the city has been accused of failing to protect the public.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California = 95. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 29. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 81. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Santa Cruz = 5.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 62,956 individuals with a median age of 35.2 age the population grows by 2.05% in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,000 residents per square mile of area (1,500/km²). There are average 2.39 people per household in the 21,130 households with an average household income of $64,370 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.90% of the available work force and has dropped -4.54% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.02%. The number of physicians in Santa Cruz per 100,000 population = 250.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Santa Cruz = 30.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 65. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 262. 74 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 56, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California which are owned by the occupant = 43.45%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 42 years with median home cost = $394,020 and home appreciation of -9.68%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.92 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,030 per student. There are 20.2 students for each teacher in the school. 18027.18% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 26.71% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 17.31% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).