Live Oak, CA, USA, 2014
Live Oak’s story
Live Oak in pictures
Census counts: 3,518 in 1960, 17,038 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 6 maps from 1912 on.
Explore the history →Live OakSanta Cruz County, CA
A town of 16,911.
Population
16,911
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$1.02M
Census ACS
Household income
$104K
median
Median age
41.8
years
Jobs based here
7,599
Balanced
TownGrade
B−
#211 of 841 in CA
What should you know before moving to Live Oak?
The typical home is worth about $1.0 million, 9.1 years of the Santa Cruz metro’s $111K median household income. Overall it grades B−, 211th of 841 graded towns in California. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Live Oak’s July high is 70°F, below both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
What makes Live Oak stand out
Where Live Oak beats most towns.
WalkabilityA+
More walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
9.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Live Oak Elementary schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Live Oak Elementary | K–5 | 362 |
| Green Acres Elementary | K–5 | 262 |
| Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary | K–5 | 214 |
SchoolsB+
On state tests
NCES · EDFacts.
How Live Oak grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Live Oak is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 2%), so the B− overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12.5 of 20; 5.5% of households have no carA+Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →HealthDominican Hospital 0.3 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & income$104K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 147 attractions →Levi's Stadium and 80 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Live Oak. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw28 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
3 mi Theme parkSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk
24 mi Stadium & arenaSAP Center
26 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
27 mi MuseumMonterey Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Josta Photo, CC BY 2.0 · SAP Center: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Monterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Monterey Museum of Art: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
Moving to Live Oak: who provides what
Live Oak is unincorporated, so Santa Cruz County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSanta Cruz Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSanta Cruz CountySanta Cruz County provides services here
SchoolsSanta Cruz City High School District (9-12)Live Oak Elementary School DistrictSoquel Elementary School District3 districts serve Live Oak; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSanta Cruz County Clerk - ElectionsSanta Cruz County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP codes95062, 9506595062 75% · 95065 24%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Live Oak.
Live Oak has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, trades workers with Santa Cruz and other neighbors and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 2.3% of Live Oak
3.6 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The trail density in Live Oak is 1.1 miles per square mile.
#340for trails in CA
| Live Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
2.3%
conserved · 48 of 2,066 acres
3.6 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jose Avenue Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
| 2. Rodeo Creek Gulch | — | 15 |
| 3. Arana Gulch | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB+
Live Oak’s schools rank ahead of 71% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Live Oak Elementary school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
71%of CA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 362 | – |
| Tierra Pacifica CharterTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 166 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Live Oak
Since 1982, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Live Oak.
84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
3
paid flood claims since 1982
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
Residents of Live Oak are healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,021 U.S. towns with household incomes like Live Oak’s, it is healthier than 57%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Live Oak beats the California average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 27% of Live Oak adults have obesity.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Live Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. California
7 better22 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Live Oak | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.5% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.2% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.7% | 6.4% |
Dominican Hospital
0.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
62nd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Live Oak has mild winters and pleasant summers
The Santa Cruz weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 323 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 42.5°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 70°.
Live Oak has warm winters and cool summers. Live Oak’s January low is 43°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
72°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–60°
Spring47–65°
Summer54–70°
Fall50–69°
Dec 13
typical first frost
Jan 29
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
72°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in nine working residents works right in Live Oak
Live Oak has about as many jobs (7,599) as working residents, but only 701 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 21.9 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Most working residents leave Live Oak for work: only 11% work in town. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Live Oak. Since 2013, Live Oak has added 372 jobs, to 7,599 in 2023.
11%work in town
| Live Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 16% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Live Oak11%
Santa Cruz21%
San Jose6%
Capitola5%
Scotts Valley4%
6 mi
median commute distance
7,599
jobs based in Live Oak
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer children than California overall
Children under 18 are 16% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 20% of residents (16% statewide). 41% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
41.8median age · CA 37.9
| Live Oak | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.8 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
Live OakCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school17%
Some college22%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 71% are women (CA 58%).
| Live Oak | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.6% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.5% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.2% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.4% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.1% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.7% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Live Oak
17pages on Live Oak
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Live Oak
Five Branches UniversityUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Santa Cruz1.8 miCabrillo CollegeCommunity college · Public · Aptos3.1 mi$1,270 in-state tuitionUniversity of California-Santa CruzUniversity or college · Public · Santa Cruz4.4 mi$16,005 in-state tuition
About 11 of every 100 Live Oak residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Live Oak
Census-designated place in California, United States
Live Oak is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Capitola and north of the former Union Pacific railroad. Live Oak sits at an elevation of 102 feet (31 m). The population was 17,038 at the 2020 census. The population of the greater Live Oak area, including Twin Lakes and Pleasure Point, was 27,921.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 102 ft
Live Oak’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Live Oak.
Santa CruzCapitolaSoquelTwin LakesLive Oak
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak | #211 | B− | D− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Santa Cruz | #291 | C+ | D− | D | A− | A− |
| Capitola | #305 | C+ | D | C− | A− | A− |
| Soquel | #161 | B | D− | — | A− | A |
| Twin Lakes | #206 | B− | D− | — | B+ | A− |
Live Oak, Soquel and Twin Lakes report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Live Oak with a neighbor →
Questions about Live Oak
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Live Oak, CA a good place to live?
Live Oak grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #211 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Live Oak, CA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.