Best Neighborhoods for Schools in Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz's highest school score is 5.0 out of 5, in Beach Hill / Beach Flats. 6 ranked Santa Cruz neighborhoods score 4 out of 5 or higher for schools. Moore Creek Upland Open Space follows at 4.5 out of 5.
Houseberry scores 34 Santa Cruz neighborhoods on schools, safety, amenities, price, value and appreciation. School scores in Santa Cruz run from 0.5 to 5.0 out of 5, and 6 score 4 out of 5 or higher. Median home prices range from $722,499 in Lower Ocean to $1,900,000 in Lighthouse / The Circles across 12 priced neighborhoods. Across the five nearest cities the average school score is 4.2 out of 5, against 2.6 in Santa Cruz.
Learn more about Santa Cruz, CA.
Beach Hill / Beach Flats, Santa Cruz, CA
Moore Creek Upland Open Space, Santa Cruz, CA
Beach and Boardwalk District, Santa Cruz, CA
Western Drive / Nobel, Santa Cruz, CA
Water Street Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Lower Seabright, Santa Cruz, CA
Lighthouse / The Circles, Santa Cruz, CA
Upper Ocean, Santa Cruz, CA
Harvey West District, Santa Cruz, CA
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Paradise Park Masonic Club, Santa Cruz, CA
King Street, Santa Cruz, CA
Westside Industrial District, Santa Cruz, CA
Downtown Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Lower Ocean, Santa Cruz, CA
Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA
Carbonera, Santa Cruz, CA
Neary Lagoon, Santa Cruz, CA
Upper Seabright, Santa Cruz, CA
Mission Street Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Soquel Avenue Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Westlake, Santa Cruz, CA
Lighthouse Field State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA
San Lorenzo Park, Santa Cruz, CA
Pogonip, Santa Cruz, CA
Arana Gulch, Santa Cruz, CA
Tanner Heights, Santa Cruz, CA
Banana Belt, Santa Cruz, CA
DeLaveaga Park, Santa Cruz, CA
Branciforte Drive, Santa Cruz, CA
River Street District, Santa Cruz, CA
Ocean Street Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Prospect Heights, Santa Cruz, CA
California Street / Mission Hill, Santa Cruz, CA
Scores updated August 2026
Best Neighborhoods for Schools
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Santa Cruz schools: your questions, answered
What are the best neighborhoods for schools in Santa Cruz?
Beach Hill / Beach Flats has the highest school score in Santa Cruz, at 5.0 out of 5. The next highest school scores in Santa Cruz are Moore Creek Upland Open Space (4.5 out of 5) and Beach and Boardwalk District (4.5 out of 5).
What do homes cost in Santa Cruz's top-scoring school neighborhoods?
Western Drive / Nobel, which has the highest school score in Santa Cruz with a price on record, has a median home price of $1,545,000.
What is the most affordable Santa Cruz neighborhood with a high school score?
Upper Ocean has the lowest median home price, $939,000, among Santa Cruz neighborhoods scoring 3.5 out of 5 or higher for schools and priced below the Santa Cruz median of $1,247,000; Upper Ocean scores 3.5 out of 5 for schools.
Which Santa Cruz neighborhoods have school scores of 4 out of 5 or higher?
6 of 32 ranked Santa Cruz neighborhoods score 4 out of 5 or higher for schools. The highest schools scores in Santa Cruz are Beach Hill / Beach Flats (5.0 out of 5), Moore Creek Upland Open Space (4.5 out of 5) and Beach and Boardwalk District (4.5 out of 5).
How does Santa Cruz compare with nearby cities for schools?
Santa Cruz neighborhoods average 2.6 out of 5 for schools. The nearest cities average Monte Sereno 4.6, Los Gatos 4.6, Saratoga 4.8, Campbell 4.2 and Morgan Hill 3.0.
More Santa Cruz rankings
- Best neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
- Safest neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
- Best neighborhoods for amenities in Santa Cruz
- Most affordable neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
- Best-value neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
- Fastest-appreciating neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
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Nearby school rankings
Monte Sereno · Los Gatos · Saratoga · Campbell · Morgan Hill