Median Income
$116,186
household / year
Median Home Value
$669,200
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,315
gross / month
Cost of Living
116
national avg = 100

Is Santa Clarita, CA a Good Place to Live?

Santa Clarita is a mid-sized city of 225,850 in California, with a median household income of $116,186 and a 5.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.

Strengths: Santa Clarita stands out for lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Santa Clarita is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Santa Clarita city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 115.5

Santa Clarita's overall cost of living index is 115.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Santa Clarita costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.

Metric Santa Clarita, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $669,200 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,315 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 71.1% 65.9%
Median Household Income $116,186 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Santa Clarita's violent crime rate is 165.4 per 100,000 residents — 56% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
165.4 /100k
Property Crime
1176.7 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Santa Clarita is served primarily by Saugus Union. The student-to-teacher ratio is 26.5:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Santa Clarita, CA National Avg
School District Saugus Union —
Elementary Schools 14 —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio 26.5:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 38.7% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 91.0% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Santa Clarita sees average highs of 63.2°F in January and 94.2°F in July, with 15.5 inches of annual precipitation and 0.1 inches of snow per year.

MetricSanta Clarita, CA
Average High — January63.2°F
Average High — July94.2°F
Annual Precipitation15.5"
Annual Snowfall0.1"

Demographics

MetricSanta Clarita, CANational Avg
Population225,850—
Median Age37.338.9
Unemployment Rate5.5%3.7%
Avg Commute Time35.2 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)56.6%59.3%
Black or African American4.2%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino23.2%18.9%
Asian11.0%6.3%
Under 1825.4%22.2%
65 and over12.4%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Stevenson Ranch, CA 5 mi Castaic, CA 9 mi San Fernando, CA 9 mi Val Verde, CA 10 mi Hasley Canyon, CA 11 mi

ZIP Codes in Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita, CA is covered by 6 ZIP codes:

91350 91387 91321 91355 91351 91354

Santa Clarita vs Other Cities

Santa Clarita, CA vs Stevenson Ranch, CA Santa Clarita, CA vs Castaic, CA Santa Clarita, CA vs San Fernando, CA Santa Clarita, CA vs Val Verde, CA Santa Clarita, CA vs Hasley Canyon, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Clarita's cost of living index is 116, where 100 is the national average. That puts Santa Clarita roughly 16% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $669,200 and median rent is $2,315/month.
Santa Clarita's violent crime rate is 165.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1176.7 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Santa Clarita are operated by Saugus Union. The district has 14 elementary, several middle, and several high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 26.5:1. 38.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Santa Clarita, CA has a population of 225,850, a median household income of $116,186, and an unemployment rate of 5.5%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Santa Clarita averages 63.2°F in January and 94.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 15.5 inches with about 0.1 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Santa Clarita, CA is covered by 6 ZIP codes: 91350, 91387, 91321, 91355, 91351, 91354.
The population of Santa Clarita, California is 225,850 with a median age of 37.3. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Santa Clarita: cost of living index 116 (100 = US average), median home $669,200, median household income $116,186, crime index 49 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C+. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Santa Clarita side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.