2026 Top Cities by Safety Score in Santa Cruz County
2026 Top Cities by Safety Score in:
Explore the neighborhoods with the lowest crime in Santa Cruz, based on available data. This list points to neighborhoods where safety and security take priority.
Live Oak, Aptos and Pasatiempo share Santa Cruz County's highest safety score, at 5.0 out of 5. 4 ranked cities in Santa Cruz County score 4 out of 5 or higher for safety.
School : 3.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.7/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 3.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.7/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.6/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 1.4/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.6/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 1.4/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.6/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.6/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.0/5
Safety : 4.0/5
Amenities : 1.9/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.0/5
Safety : 4.0/5
Amenities : 1.9/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.4/5
Safety : 2.8/5
Amenities : 2.7/5
Price : $449,506
Appreciation : -
Value: $15 Overvalued
School : 2.4/5
Safety : 2.8/5
Amenities : 2.7/5
Price : $449,506
Appreciation : -
Value: $15 Overvalued
Scores updated October 2026
Santa Cruz County safety: your questions, answered
What are the safest cities in Santa Cruz County?
By Houseberry's safety score, the top-ranked cities in Santa Cruz County are Live Oak, Aptos and Pasatiempo, tied at 5.0 out of 5, out of 5 ranked.
Which cities in Santa Cruz County have safety scores of 4 out of 5 or higher?
Of the 5 cities in Santa Cruz County with a safety score, 4 score 4 out of 5 or higher for safety. The highest are Live Oak (5.0 out of 5), Aptos (5.0 out of 5) and Pasatiempo (5.0 out of 5).
Which cities in Santa Cruz County rank highly for both safety and overall?
1 ranked city in Santa Cruz County scores 4 out of 5 or higher both for safety and overall: Live Oak (5.0 out of 5 and 4.1 out of 5).
Which city in Santa Cruz County has the highest overall score?
Live Oak has the highest overall score of the ranked cities in Santa Cruz County, at 4.1 out of 5.
More rankings in Santa Cruz County
- Best cities in Santa Cruz County
- Best cities for schools in Santa Cruz County
- Best cities for amenities in Santa Cruz County
- Best-value cities in Santa Cruz County
- Fastest-appreciating cities in Santa Cruz County
Nearby counties
Santa Clara County · San Mateo County · Alameda County · San Francisco County · Contra Costa County