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Podcast: Talk of the Bay from KSQD
Episode: Priced Out: Santa Cruz Tops the Nation in Rent Burden for the Third Time
Description: Â
On this episode of Talk of the Bay, host PK Hattis is joined by Dan Emmanuel, Director of Research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for a critical conversation. They dive into the freshly released 2025 Out of Reach Report, which once again names Santa Cruz County the least affordable rental market in the country, for the third straight year.
Renter Wages vs. Reality
By contrast, the average renter wage in Santa Cruz is about $22.13 per hour, meaning a worker would need 3.7 full-time jobs at that wage just to afford rent.
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