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Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA vs San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

A 2-bedroom in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara costs $731 less per month than Santa Cruz-Watsonville ($3,483 vs $4,214). Median income is $109,266 in Santa Cruz-Watsonville and $157,444 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara. That's a difference of $8,772 per year in housing costs.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$4,214
2BR Fair Market Rent
46.3% burden
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$3,483
2BR Fair Market Rent
26.5% burden

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricSanta Cruz-WatsonvilleSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
Studio FMR$3,179$2,621
1BR FMR$3,298$2,982
2BR FMR$4,214$3,483
3BR FMR$5,377$4,602
4BR FMR$5,659$5,010
Median Income$109,266$157,444
Rent Burden46.3%26.5%
Actual Median Rent$2,172$2,794
Median Home Value$1,015,200$1,342,700
Population266K2.0M
Renter %40%44.3%
Vacancy Rate9.2%5.7%
Poverty Rate11.2%6.9%
YoY Change+3.9%+11.2%
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 Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Annual Income Needed
$139,320
Hourly Wage Needed
$67/hr
Min Wage Work Hours/Week
162.4 hrs
at $16.50/hr (CA min wage)

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is more affordable with a 2BR FMR of $3,483/mo, which is $731 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 26.5% in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara.

A 2-bedroom in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA costs $4,214/mo at Fair Market Rent, while in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA it's $3,483/mo, a difference of $731/mo or $8,772/year.

To afford a 2BR without spending more than 30% of income on rent: Santa Cruz-Watsonville requires $168,560/year ($81/hr). San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara requires $139,320/year ($67/hr).