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Capitola, CA


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Capitola, California

Introduction to Capitola, California

Capitola, California, in Santa Cruz county, is 4 miles E of Santa Cruz, California (center to center) and 25 miles S of San Jose, California. The city is included in the Santa Cruz - Watsonville metropolitan area. As of the year 2000 census, 10,033 people lived in Capitola.

Capitola History

Capitola, one of the oldest beach resorts on the West Coast, was founded as “Camp Capitola” in the year 1874 by Samuel A. Hall. The name “Capitola” was inspired by the heroine of “The Hidden Hand”, a novel by the very popular E.D.E.N. Southworth. The area was originally inhabited by Soquel Indians over thousands of years ago. However, the thriving Indian culture was totally wiped out as a result of the devastation caused by several floods. In the year 1949, Capitola became the third city to be established in Santa Cruz County.

Capitola and nearby Attractions

  • Capitola Historical Museum
  • Capitola Begonia Festival
  • Hooper Beach
  • Capitola City Hall
  • Grace Community Church of Capitola
  • Old Riverview Historic District

Things To Do In Capitola

Capitola has a rich and varied history that is reflected in the city’s museums and halls. The city boasts of being the oldest and one of the most popular beach resorts in California. It has amazing weather all the year round and the beaches offer a huge range of recreational possibilities including fishing, boating, and all kinds of beach and water games. Capitola is surrounded on one side by mountains of redwood forests. Several famous festivals are hosted in the city like the Begonia Festival and the Art & Wine Festival, which provide excellent weekend entertainment for visitors. One can also take a tour of the churches and go for picnics at any of the numerous parks that dot city.

Capitola Transportation

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is the local airport.

Capitola Higher Education

The city is served by the University Of California-Santa Cruz.

High Points

Capitola strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in California):

CategoryTrophy
Walking and Biking to Work
(vs. Peers)
Top 4%trophyCapitola Walking and Biking to Work
Well-Paid Single Women
(vs. Peers)
Top 9%Capitola Well-Paid Single Women
Well-Paid Single Men
(vs. Peers)
Top 16%Capitola Well-Paid Single Men

Comparative Profile of Capitola, CA

Comparing Capitola to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Well-Paid Single Women109
Well-Paid Single Men98
Racial Diversity84
Age of the Population78
Female Share of the Population79
Senior Citizens58
Male Share of the Population42
Children Under 5 Years Old12

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Average Household Size11
Portion of People Married11

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
College Educated Adults88
Median Family Income77
People Above Poverty67
People in Middle Class or Better67

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Walking and Biking to Work1010
Working at Home97
Public Transportation Use75
Short Commute Times34

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Seasonal and Vacation Housing1010
People Living Alone1010
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals107
Housing Recently Built65
Affordability of Property Taxes33
Affordability of Rents13

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Low Violent Crime22
Low Property Crime11
Detailed pages on related topics: Capitola mortgage and property, Capitola travel

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Additional Details

Capitola Hotels & TravelCapitola Hotels & Travel
Capitola hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Capitola MortgageCapitola Mortgage
Capitola property, mortgage, and real estate.

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Historic Capitola

photo

Hotel Capitola between 1900 and 1910

Additional Resources


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