City comparison
Oxnard, CA is about 250 miles (400 km) from Santa Cruz, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 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 Oxnard, CA to Santa Cruz, CA takes about 30 min, covering roughly 250 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.
Oxnard has a population of 202,279, vs 61,367 in Santa Cruz — about 3.3× larger by population. By land area, Oxnard covers about 27 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for Santa Cruz.
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 | Oxnard | Santa Cruz | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,907/mo | $2,232/mo | 17.0% higher in Santa Cruz |
| Median home value | $587,200 | $1,116,100 | 90.1% higher in Santa Cruz |
| Median household income | $90,409 | $105,491 | 16.7% higher in Santa Cruz |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 150.4 | 150.2 | ≈ equal (Oxnard slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Oxnard, you'd need $98,777 in Santa Cruz to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Santa Cruz, CA is about 1.2% cheaper overall than Oxnard, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Oxnard than in Santa Cruz. If you earn $80,000 in Oxnard, you'd need about $79,021 in Santa Cruz to keep the same standard of living.