City comparison
Azusa, CA is about 300 miles (500 km) from Santa Cruz, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 375 miles, or about 6 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Azusa, CA to Santa Cruz, CA takes about 36 min, covering roughly 300 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Santa Cruz has a population of 61,367, vs 49,704 in Azusa — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Santa Cruz covers about 13 sq mi vs 9.7 sq mi for Azusa.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Azusa | Santa Cruz | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,783/mo | $2,232/mo | 25.2% higher in Santa Cruz |
| Median home value | $575,800 | $1,116,100 | 93.8% higher in Santa Cruz |
| Median household income | $81,516 | $105,491 | 29.4% higher in Santa Cruz |
| Groceries index | 105.3 | 105.1 | ≈ equal (Azusa slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 153.5 | 150.2 | 2.2% higher in Azusa |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 100.7 | 3.1% higher in Azusa |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 100.6 | 3.1% higher in Azusa |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Azusa, you'd need $101,016 in Santa Cruz to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Azusa, CA is about 1% cheaper overall than Santa Cruz, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Santa Cruz than in Azusa. If you earn $80,000 in Azusa, you'd need about $80,813 in Santa Cruz to keep the same standard of living.