Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Freedom vs Watsonville

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (32× in Watsonville) and size (16.3× in Watsonville).

×
Freedom, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 3,172 people
×
Watsonville, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 51,712 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

FreedomOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 61%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#319 most conserved land in CA0.1 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Freedom →
WatsonvilleAn outdoors town
Outdoors#111 most walkable in CA3.2 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves HistorySettled in 18688 places on the National Register Health74% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Watsonville →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails32×
Watsonville has more miles of trail
Watsonville 3.2 miFreedom 0.1 mi
Size16.3×
Watsonville is the bigger place
Watsonville 51,712Freedom 3,172
Jobs per worker4×
Watsonville is more of a job hub
Watsonville 0.87Freedom 0.22
Growth since 2010+22.2 pts
Freedom has grown faster since 2010
Freedom +24.9%Watsonville +2.7%
Street grid3.1×
Watsonville has the more walkable street grid
Watsonville 128Freedom 40.8
Work in town+20.8 pts
More of Watsonville’s workers stay in town
Watsonville 22%Freedom 1.2%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Freedom places higher on 11 of 18 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
B−FreedomBetter than 52% of districts in the state B−WatsonvilleBetter than 52% of districts in the state
Health
BFreedomHealthier than 61% of U.S. towns CWatsonvilleHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns
11Freedom
6Watsonville

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #607#111 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #49#513 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #235#617 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #582#316 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #428#681 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #497#714 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #495#697 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #387#550

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Freedom’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Watsonville

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Freedom$4,350/mo
Typical home $755K (Census) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,621/mo · Housing →
Watsonville$4,760/mo
Typical home $824K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,889/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Watsonville and Freedom.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Freedom and Watsonville share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

FreedomWatsonvilleFreedomWatsonville
Freedom ↔ Watsonville1.7 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
298 Freedom residents work in Watsonville (19.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Freedom →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
FreedomWatsonville
Snow a year0″0″
January low40°F40°F
July high71°F71°F
Growing season (days)324d324d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)97th97th
Outdoors & history
FreedomWatsonville
Trails0 mi3 mi
Conserved land7.2%11.6%
Settled—1868
National Register places—8
Archive photos212
Community
FreedomWatsonville
Library hours a week—48 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

FreedomWatsonville
People
Population 3,172Lowest 51,712Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +24.9%Highest CA: +6.1% +2.7%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 32.1±3.9Lowest 15% below CA 33.8±1.2Highest 11% below CA
Watsonville and Freedom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 30.1%±6.7Highest CA: 22% 29.1%±1.7Lowest CA: 22%
Freedom and Watsonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.3%±2.2Highest CA: 15.7% 13%±1.2Lowest CA: 15.7%
Freedom and Watsonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.8%Highest CA: 37.1% 12.4%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±3Highest CA: 7.6% 6.5%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6%
Freedom and Watsonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $93,750±$41kHighest 5% below CA $78,393±$6kLowest 21% below CA
Freedom and Watsonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $755,300±$83kHighest about the CA average $686,000±$25kLowest 7% below CA
Freedom and Watsonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,621±$209Lowest 20% below CA $1,889±$100Highest 7% below CA
Watsonville and Freedom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,656Highest 9% below CA $4,375Lowest 15% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.8%±16.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 55.1%±5Highest CA: 55.3%
Watsonville and Freedom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.3%Lowest CA: 12% 14.7%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.6%Highest CA: 55.9% 44.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 11 yrs older than CA 1977Highest 1 yr newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 7% above CA 26 minLowest 9% below CA
Work from home 5.4%±3.4Lowest CA: 17.2% 6.4%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2%
Watsonville and Freedom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.2%Lowest 22%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 15.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.22Lowest 0.87Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Watsonville (19%)Santa Cruz (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 19% work in WatsonvilleFew work in Freedom
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.2%Lowest 11.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 3.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 23Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 40.8Lowest 128Highest
Schools
School district Pajaro Valley Unified · Santa Cruz County Office of EducationCeiba College Preparatory Academy District · Watsonville Prep District
High school in town Santa Cruz County Career Advancement CharterWatsonville High
Students per teacherat that high school 27.2Highest 23.5Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Freedom neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Freedom’s Town Square.

Watsonville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Watsonville’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Freedom and Watsonville

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Freedom

A
+ Compare
Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley2,127 people · $1.19M homes
A
+ Compare
Amesti2,818 people · $879K homes

Towns like Freedom

+ Compare
Wheatland3,876 people · $429K homes
+ Compare
Colfax2,407 people · $434K homes
+ Compare
Williams5,585 people · $370K homes
+ Compare
Colma1,636 people · $1.06M homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Post to Freedom

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in