NAICS 81

Other Services in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Metro Market Score 78.6 (Difficult), ranked #327 of 332 metros. 769 establishments, 4,017 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 78.6
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national other services average.

Other Services employment in Santa Cruz-Watsonville contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom 10% at 8.4. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration
92.8
LQ: 1.28
Rank #308 of 332 metros
Wage Competitiveness
72.9
$48,971 avg wage
Growth Trend
↓ 8.4
Employment growth index
Rank #305 of 332 metros
Wage Pressure
48.4
YoY wage change index

769 Other Services Firms in Santa Cruz-Watsonville

769
Establishments
+3.6% YoY
4,017
Total Employment
-3.5% YoY
$48,971
Average Annual Wage
+2.8% YoY
1.28
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Santa Cruz-Watsonville vs California Statewide

How this metro's other services market compares to California overall. The state ranks #45/51 for entry risk.

Measure Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA Statewide
Overall Score 78.6 Difficult 57.1 High
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #327 of 332 metros #45 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Santa Cruz-Watsonville

Information 31.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 44.3 Construction 47.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 49.2 Administrative and Support Services 54.0 Finance and Insurance 61.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.6 Retail Trade 64.7 Accommodation and Food Services 83.7

Other Services in Other California Metros

Hanford-Corcoran 31.1 #32/332 Visalia 34.5 #51/332 Fresno 37.5 #63/332 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura 38.7 #69/332 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles 38.8 #70/332 Merced 43.0 #99/332 Stockton-Lodi 43.5 #103/332 Redding 43.7 #104/332 El Centro 43.8 #105/332 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 45.3 #121/332

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Santa Cruz-Watsonville's other services sector, the employment growth component (91.6) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.