Local Cost of Living Smashes National Average

It should come as no surprise that living in Santa Cruz County is abnormally expensive. Compared to national averages, nearly every local expense is well above what people are paying in other parts of the country.

This is even true in Watsonville, where incomes are less and it's generally assumed that living in South County is a bargain compared to North County prices.

Have you ever seen the numbers of exactly how it compares? Bestplaces.net has broken down local average costs compared to the national average. They rank every expense on a point scale, with 100 being the national average. 

According to Bestplaces.net, Watsonville is 33 percent cheaper than Corralitos with housing costs making up the difference. Watsonville residents pay nearly twice the national average in housing expenses. It's 3.5 times more expensive in the hills outside of town. See the breakdown of all the numbers below.

While the overall averages and housing numbers are enough to inspire an exodus to the Bible Belt, Watsonville and the surrounding Pajaro Valley aren't even the most expensive towns in the county. Living elsewhere in the county actually takes more out of your pocket than living in South County.

What do you make of these numbers? Is it worth it to you to pay three to four times the national average on rent and mortgage to stay here? At least our utility payments are normal, right? Tell us in the comments!