ZayanteCA
The town was settled in 1916 and has 399 residents today.
Is Zayante a good place to live?
56% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Zayante, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 7 of the 848 California towns we compare have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Zayante. 37% of the land in Zayante is conserved, above both the California town median (4.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Olympia Watershed, 134 acres with 1.7 miles of trail. Zayante has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
399 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Levi's Stadium and 86 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Zayante. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw22 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
19 mi Stadium & arenaSAP Center
9 mi Theme parkSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk
33 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
23 mi MuseumComputer History MuseumPhoto credits
Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SAP Center: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Josta Photo, CC BY 2.0 · Monterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Computer History Museum: Dzou, CC BY-SA 3.0
Moving to Zayante: who provides what
Zayante is unincorporated, so Santa Cruz County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Zayante.
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Zayante is higher
61% of Zayante’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 32%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Zayante, nearly a third of the land is conserved
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 10 miles of trail. The trail density in Zayante is 3.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Olympia Watershed | 1.7 mi | 134 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
With only 0.1 jobs per working resident, most people in Zayante work out of town
The top destinations are San Jose (14%), Santa Cruz (11%) and Scotts Valley (8%). Jobs in Zayante fell by 38 from 2013 to 2023, to 30. For working residents here, the share who work locally is 0.9%. Half of commuters travel less than 16 miles.
| Zayante | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The climate in Zayante brings mild winters and pleasant summers
For Zayante, the midsummer high is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Zayante stands out in California and nationally, with more of its adults who binge drink
Of 32 CDC measures, Zayante beats the California average on 13 and trails it on 3. 16% of Zayante adults report frequent mental distress. Two figures for adults in the town: 17% get no exercise outside work, 26% have obesity.
| Zayante | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 24% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 29% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Zayante | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.9% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Zayante sell for about $931K
The share of households in Zayante who live in a home they own: 69%. For Zayante, the median rent is $2,260 a month.
| Zayante | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,260 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Zayante
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Zayante
About 9 of every 100 Zayante residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
99% of working residents leave Zayante for work
Where Zayante’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Zayante
Census-designated place in California, United States
Zayante (Ohlone: Sayante) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. It is a residential area located on Zayante Creek. Zayante sits at an elevation of 699 feet (213 m). The 2020 United States census reported Zayante's population as 729.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 699 ft
Questions about Zayante
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Zayante, CA a good place to live?
Zayante has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.