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.

Down paymentRate%

Lompoc$3,410/mo

Typical home $595K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.58% · or rent about $1,589/mo · Housing →

Watsonville$4,760/mo

Typical home $824K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,889/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,350 a month, about $16,200 a year, between Watsonville and Lompoc.

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.

Report cards

Lompoc places higher on 13 of 21 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.

Safety

C−LompocSafer than 24% of U.S. towns –WatsonvilleNot graded

Schools

B+LompocBetter than 67% of districts in the state B−WatsonvilleBetter than 52% of districts in the state

Health

CLompocHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns CWatsonvilleHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns

13Lompoc

7Watsonville

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #211#552 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #411#111 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #465#212 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #350#227 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #734#526 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #190#391 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #276#456 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #251#411

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

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

LompocWatsonville

Snow a year0″0″

January low43°F 40°F

July high73°F 71°F

Growing season (days)335d 324d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)83rd 97th

Outdoors & history

LompocWatsonville

Trails9 mi 3 mi

Conserved land3.1%11.6%

Settled1888 1868

National Register places3 8

Archive photos23 12

Famous people born here31 —

Community

LompocWatsonville

Library hours a week44 hrs 48 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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.

Where they are

172 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LompocCA WatsonvilleCA

Lompoc ↔ Watsonville172 miles apart

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.

Only big differences vs California average

LompocWatsonville

People

Population 43,646Lowest 51,712Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.7%Highest CA: +6.1% +2.7%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 35.1±1.4Highest 7% below CA 33.8±1.2Lowest 11% below CA

Lompoc and Watsonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 26.1%±2.1Lowest CA: 22% 29.1%±1.7Highest CA: 22%

Watsonville and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 13%±1.2 CA: 15.7% 13%±1.2 CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.7%Highest CA: 37.1% 12.4%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±1Lowest CA: 7.6% 6.5%±0.9Highest CA: 7.6%

Watsonville and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $72,004±$7kLowest 27% below CA $78,393±$6kHighest 21% below CA

Watsonville and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $472,900±$13kLowest 36% below CA $686,000±$25kHighest 7% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,589±$63Lowest 22% below CA $1,889±$100Highest 7% below CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,737Lowest 47% below CA $4,375Highest 15% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54%±6.2Lowest CA: 55.3% 55.1%±5Highest CA: 55.3%

Watsonville and Lompoc are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 17.3%Highest CA: 12% 14.7%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 49%Highest CA: 55.9% 44.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Lowest same as CA 1977Highest 1 yr newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 4% below CA 26 minLowest 9% below CA

Work from home 7.1%±1.6Highest CA: 17.2% 6.4%±1.5Lowest CA: 17.2%

Lompoc and Watsonville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 22.3%Highest 22%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.3 miHighest 15.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.45Lowest 0.87Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Santa Barbara (9%)Santa Cruz (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WatsonvilleFew work in Lompoc

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Lowest 11.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 8.6 miHighest 3.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Lowest 23Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 72.0Lowest 128Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #393 of 574 in CA—

School district Lompoc UnifiedCeiba College Preparatory Academy District · Watsonville Prep District

High school in town Lompoc HighWatsonville High

Students per teacherat that high school 19.5Lowest 23.5Highest

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.

Lompoc neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lompoc’s Town Square.

Watsonville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Watsonville’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Lompoc and Watsonville

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

Bordering Lompoc

+ Compare

Mission Hills3,859 people · $493K homes

Towns like Lompoc

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Colton53,772 people · $444K homes

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Paramount52,050 people · $534K homes

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Atwater32,162 people · $363K homes

+ Compare

Desert Hot Springs33,200 people · $355K 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.

Lompoc vs Watsonville

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,350 more a month in Watsonville

Lompoc places higher on 13 of 21 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

172 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Lompoc and Watsonville

Bordering Lompoc

Towns like Lompoc

Post to Lompoc

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