Santa Clarita CA vs Tallahassee FL — Cost of Living, Crime & Income Comparison 2026

Updated May 2026 · Source: US Census ACS 5-Year (2023), FBI CDE (2023), BLS OEWS (2024)

Santa Clarita, CA

California · Population: 229,021

  • Median HH Income$119,926
  • Median Home Price$802,780
  • Unemployment5.3%
  • Bachelor's+39.3%

Tallahassee, FL

Florida · Population: 199,696

  • Median HH Income$55,931
  • Median Home Price$293,664
  • Unemployment6.5%
  • Bachelor's+51.0%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population
Santa Clarita
229,021
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
199,696
Pop. Density / sq mi
Lower = more space
Santa Clarita
N/A
Tallahassee
N/A
Median Age
Santa Clarita
38.1
Tallahassee
28.0
Tallahassee +
Foreign Born
Santa Clarita
21.6%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
8.0%
White
Santa Clarita
53.1%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
50.7%
Black
Santa Clarita
4.4%
Tallahassee
35.7%
Tallahassee +
Asian
Santa Clarita
11.4%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
4.0%
Hispanic
Santa Clarita
36.0%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
8.6%
Spanish at Home
Santa Clarita
N/A
Tallahassee
N/A

Economy

Median HH Income
Santa Clarita
$119,926
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
$55,931
Per Capita Income
Santa Clarita
$49,571
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
$35,704
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)
BEA MSA-level
Santa Clarita
$77,230
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
$65,328
Unemployment Rate
Santa Clarita
5.3%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
6.5%
Poverty Rate
Santa Clarita
7.7%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
23.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
Santa Clarita
39.3%
Tallahassee
51.0%
Tallahassee +

Housing

Median Home Value
Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS
Santa Clarita
$802,780
Tallahassee
$293,664
Tallahassee +
Homeownership Rate
Santa Clarita
72.0%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
39.5%

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Santa Clarita
503
Tallahassee
324
Tallahassee +
Property Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Santa Clarita
2388
Tallahassee
1453
Tallahassee +

Health

Obesity Rate
CDC PLACES
Santa Clarita
24.7%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
34.1%
Diabetes Rate
CDC PLACES
Santa Clarita
9.8%
Tallahassee
9.6%
Tallahassee +
Poor Mental Health
CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month
Santa Clarita
16.0%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
20.3%
No Health Insurance
CDC PLACES
Santa Clarita
8.0%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
13.2%
Binge Drinking
CDC PLACES
Santa Clarita
16.9%
Tallahassee
16.7%
Tallahassee +
Current Smokers
CDC PLACES
Santa Clarita
9.9%
Santa Clarita +
Tallahassee
12.2%

Climate

Avg Annual Temp
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Santa Clarita
N/A
Tallahassee
67.6°F
Annual Precipitation
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Santa Clarita
N/A
Tallahassee
58.1 in

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg
EPA AQS (state-level est.)
Santa Clarita
7.9 µg/m³
Tallahassee
7.2 µg/m³
Tallahassee +
Good Air Days
AQI ≤ 50
Santa Clarita
75.0%
Tallahassee
75.0%
Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time
Census ACS
Santa Clarita
37.4 min
Tallahassee
20.3 min
Tallahassee +

Which City is Right for You?

Santa Clarita leads in median household income at $119,926, while tallahassee offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $293,664. On public safety, Tallahassee is safer with a violent crime rate of 324 per 100,000 residents, compared to 503 in Santa Clarita. Santa Clarita has a lower unemployment rate at 5.3%, and Tallahassee has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 7.2 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Santa Clarita scores better with a lower obesity rate of 24.7%.

Compare More Cities

About Santa Clarita & Tallahassee