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Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA vs San Francisco, CA

A 2-bedroom in San Francisco costs $610 less per month than Santa Cruz-Watsonville ($3,604 vs $4,214). Median income is $109,266 in Santa Cruz-Watsonville and $133,780 in San Francisco. That's a difference of $7,320 per year in housing costs.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$4,214
2BR Fair Market Rent
46.3% burden
San Francisco, CA
$3,604
2BR Fair Market Rent
32.3% burden

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricSanta Cruz-WatsonvilleSan Francisco
Studio FMR$3,179$2,485
1BR FMR$3,298$2,977
2BR FMR$4,214$3,604
3BR FMR$5,377$4,604
4BR FMR$5,659$4,772
Median Income$109,266$133,780
Rent Burden46.3%32.3%
Actual Median Rent$2,172$2,426
Median Home Value$1,015,200$1,113,800
Population266K4.7M
Renter %40%44.6%
Vacancy Rate9.2%7%
Poverty Rate11.2%8.7%
YoY Change+3.9%+7.3%
Min Wage$16.50/hr$16.50/hr

Income Required to Afford a 2-Bedroom

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Annual Income Needed
$168,560
Hourly Wage Needed
$81/hr
Min Wage Work Hours/Week
196.5 hrs
at $16.50/hr (CA min wage)
San Francisco, CA
Annual Income Needed
$144,160
Hourly Wage Needed
$69/hr
Min Wage Work Hours/Week
168 hrs
at $16.50/hr (CA min wage)

Frequently Asked Questions

San Francisco, CA is more affordable with a 2BR FMR of $3,604/mo, which is $610 less than Santa Cruz-Watsonville at $4,214/mo. However, when considering local incomes, Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a rent burden of 46.3% vs 32.3% in San Francisco.

A 2-bedroom in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA costs $4,214/mo at Fair Market Rent, while in San Francisco, CA it's $3,604/mo, a difference of $610/mo or $7,320/year.

To afford a 2BR without spending more than 30% of income on rent: Santa Cruz-Watsonville requires $168,560/year ($81/hr). San Francisco requires $144,160/year ($69/hr).