Whatever your reasons for moving to Santa Clarita, this city is a complete package. It’s amazing in several ways, and you should know what to expect when moving. So, what’re the pros and cons of living in Santa Clarita?
Santa Clarita has the charm of a smaller town, but it has several other advantages such as safety, weather, outdoor activities, ideal location, and access to education. But no city is faultless. So, it has some faults, including the cost of living, natural disaster risks, and transportation issues.
Regardless of these faults, Santa Clarita is an amazing place. We discuss the pros and cons to better understand what the city is all about and its various dimensions.
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Pros of Living in Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita is a small city with lots of great qualities. This quality is a source of attraction for most of its residents, and if you’re moving there, you can expect the following.
Outdoor Activities
There are several things you can do when living in Santa Clarita. If you’re an outdoorsy person, you will find this city very welcoming. Biking, boating, hiking, and several activities are easier to do here. The San Gabriel Mountains are close by, and there are Pyramid Lake and Castaic Lake.
Attractions in this city also include the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Gibbon Conservation Center, and Pulchella Winery. The entertainment scene is quite interesting, with several festivals, clubs, and restaurants. If you’re interested in sports, Los Angeles is only 30 minutes away, with about ten professional sports teams in it.
Safety
Safety is paramount when picking where to live, and Santa Clarita is one of the safest cities in California. The total crime rate is 57% below the national average, and property crime is 55% lower. In addition, violent crimes in the city are 67% below the national average.
Living in Santa Clarita is a delight because this city is safer than 70% of cities in the country, and crime is still reducing. So, if you’re looking for a safe city to live in, California, you should consider Santa Clarita.
Great Weather
The superb climate and weather are a major reason many people move to Southern California. If you’re moving for that reason too, Santa Clarita is one of the cities that enjoys this weather. It experiences an average of 280 days of sunshine annually. The weather is usually mild, sunny but never too hot. Santa Clarita’s rainy season is usually between December and March, and those who live in higher elevations are likely to see snow.
Proximity to Los Angeles
This is another positive for the city. LA is just around 30 minutes away by car, which means residents can go to Los Angeles anytime. It’s even possible to live in Santa Clarita and work in LA. As a resident, you get to enjoy all the great amenities, opportunities, and entertainment that LA has to offer while still enjoying the more relaxed atmosphere of your residential city.
Quality Education
Santa Clarita is a kid-friendly city, with most of the residents being families and young professionals. This isn’t surprising, considering it had some of the best schools in the state. Six school districts serve the city, and some of the schools are part of the top 10% of best schools in California. Greatschools also rate several schools in the city highly.
In terms of higher institutions, there are several nearby. Within Santa Clarita itself, there is the College of the Canyons. But close to it, there are Woodbury University in Burbank, California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, Columbia College of Hollywood in Tarzana, Pacific State University, and the University of California, both in Los Angeles.
Cons of Living in Santa Clarita
If you choose to live in Santa Clarita, there are certain negatives about the city that you should prepare your mind for. They include:
High Cost of Living
It’s almost impossible to separate Southern California cities from high prices, and Santa Clarita isn’t different. You need to be earning well to enjoy living in this city. The cost of living here is 47.1% above the national average.
But you shouldn’t worry; its cost of living doesn’t exceed the California average. In fact, most basic commodities are cheaper here than the California average, which means you’re still not paying too much.
Housing here is also unaffordable if you’re judging by national standards. But the average price of a home at $707,660 is merely a few thousand above the California average. So, you’re not paying too much for a home here. But, of course, there are parts of the city where houses are over $1 million.
Prone to Natural Disasters
If you’re living in Santa Clarita, you should be prepared for natural disasters. The area is vulnerable to wildfires, drought, earthquakes, mudslides, and flooding. All these problems aren’t peculiar to Santa Clarita as they generally affect this part of California. For example, there are claims that about 10,000 earthquakes happen in this area annually, with most of them not even noticeable.
Transportation Issues
The city is car-dependent, so you should make sure you have a car if you plan to move. According to WalkScore, the city has a walking score of 35 and a bike score of 33. It has no transit score, showing you’ll need a car to commute within the city. In Santa Clarita, 76.6% of residents drive their cars to work, and only 3% take mass transit.
However, if you want to be part of the 3%, the City of Santa Clarita Transit covers nine local bus routes in the city. There is also the Metrolink, Commuter Express Service, and local rail service. Lyft, Uber, and local taxis operate here too.
As a car-dependent city, it’s almost impossible to avoid traffic which leads to longer commute time. The best way to avoid or minimize traffic is to avoid rush hours and learn the major thoroughfares in the city.
In Conclusion
No city is perfect, but Santa Clarita comes close to perfection in a California city. It has several good qualities and its negative ones are manageable. So, if you’re thinking of moving to Santa Clarita, it might be the best decision for you.
