This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Scotts Valley page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.
Affordability Summary
Population is 12,138, so Scotts Valley should be compared with similar-size places before using broader California averages. Median household income is $140,887, so the best affordability read for Scotts Valley is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.
Median home value is $1,092,000, so ownership costs in Scotts Valley should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is $2,362/mo, so renters can compare Scotts Valley against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.
Housing and Income Context
For Scotts Valley, household income runs high enough that housing choice can dominate affordability. Home values are high, making down payment and insurance assumptions especially important.
Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Scotts Valley looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Pasatiempo, CA.
Utility Cost Context
The residential electricity benchmark is $0.334/kWh, so Scotts Valley households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Scotts Valley is a California state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.
For Scotts Valley, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.
Property Tax Context
Median property tax paid is $7,430, so Scotts Valley buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Scotts Valley address.
Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.
Insurance and Risk Context
Insurance costs in Scotts Valley depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.
Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Scotts Valley, especially when comparing with Pasatiempo, CA.
Population and Demographics
Median age is 47.8, so Scotts Valley may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 54.4%, so Scotts Valley education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.
Unemployment is 5.3%, so Scotts Valley wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.
