Watsonville, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Watsonville, CA Summary
Cost of living in Watsonville research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Watsonville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Watsonville is 152, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Watsonville is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Watsonville ranks as the #328 cheapest in California out of 634.
Watsonville ranks as the #5,746 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Watsonville is $828,495.
The median income in Watsonville is $74,785.
Table Of Contents
Watsonville's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Watsonville, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Watsonville has an overall cost of living index of 152, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Watsonville has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Watsonville ranks as #328 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Watsonville ranks as the #306 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Watsonville, check out:
In California
In America
Watsonville Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Watsonville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Watsonville is 107.
The Groceries index in Watsonville is 115.
The Health index in Watsonville is 123.
The Housing index in Watsonville is 235.
The Transportation index in Watsonville is 129.
The Utilities index in Watsonville is 132.
| Living Expense | Watsonville | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 152 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 123 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 235 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 129 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 132 | 128 | 100 | |
Watsonville, CA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Watsonville is $828,495.
The Median Rent in Watsonville is $1,784.
The Median Income in Watsonville is $74,785.
The Home Value To Income in Watsonville is 11.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Watsonville is 0.29x.
| Statistic | Watsonville | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $828,495 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,784 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $74,785 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 11.1x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.29x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Watsonville, CA Costs By Category
Detailed Watsonville Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Watsonville | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.66 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.31 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $33.3 | $18 |
| Haircut | $33.94 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $48.51 | $45.56 |
Detailed Watsonville Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Watsonville | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.79 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.13 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.05 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.77 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.92 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.99 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 |
Detailed Watsonville Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Watsonville | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
Detailed Watsonville Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Watsonville | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
Detailed Watsonville Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Watsonville | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
Watsonville SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Watsonville
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Watsonville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Salinas, CA has a cost of living index of 149, 1.0x Watsonville.
Morgan Hill, CA has a cost of living index of 201, 1.3x Watsonville.
Marina, CA has a cost of living index of 159, 1.0x Watsonville.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Watsonville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | 161,993 | 149 | 1.0x |
| Morgan Hill, CA | 45,152 | 201 | 1.3x |
| Marina, CA | 22,324 | 159 | 1.0x |
| Prunedale, CA | 19,286 | 165 | 1.1x |
| Scotts Valley, CA | 12,138 | 194 | 1.3x |
| Soquel, CA | 10,691 | 180 | 1.2x |
| Rio del Mar, CA | 8,938 | 214 | 1.4x |
| Interlaken, CA | 8,191 | 163 | 1.1x |
| San Martin, CA | 7,199 | 214 | 1.4x |
| Castroville, CA | 6,870 | 158 | 1.0x |
