Housing data for Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz, CA has an estimated 61,607 residents and 23,888 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Santa Cruz County.
51.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,452 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−4.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 61,607 (±64)
- Housing units
- 23,888 (±712)
- Households that rent
- 51.6%
- Median gross rent
- $2,452
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −4.5%
What stands out in Santa Cruz
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 20.7% (±2.3 points) in Santa Cruz, higher than in Santa Cruz County (12.9%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 32.4% (±2.9 points) in Santa Cruz, higher than in Santa Cruz County (21.2%).
Households that rent: 51.6% (±2.5 points) in Santa Cruz, higher than in Santa Cruz County (40.1%).
Commuting by public transportation: 4.7% (±1.1 points) in Santa Cruz, higher than in Santa Cruz County (1.9%).
- Types of homes in Santa Cruz
- How long people stay in Santa Cruz
- Renters and owners in Santa Cruz
- Commute and cars in Santa Cruz
Housing in Santa Cruz at a glance
- Median rent: $2,452 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,758 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 54.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 51.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $115,475 median household income
- Home values: $1,209,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $3,888 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $6,768 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 20.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 42.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 67.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.2% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 67.9% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 22.8 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 533 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −4.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 32.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Santa Cruz against Santa Cruz County, its state and the nation
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 61,607 (±64) | 264,926 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 23,888 (±712) | 106,977 (±177) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 51.6% (±2.5 points) | 40.1% (±1.1 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,452 (±$128) | $2,264 (±$51) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $115,475 (±$6,419) | $111,093 (±$2,734) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,209,000 (±$34,264) | $1,027,500 (±$15,133) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $6,768 (±$503) | $6,538 (±$166) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 67.7% (±4.6 points) | 63.5% (±1.9 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 22.8 minutes (±1.1) | 25.7 minutes (±0.6) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 95.5% (±1.3 points) | 94.2% (±0.7 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 31.1 years (±1.3) | 39.8 years (±0.3) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Santa Cruz covers 12.7 square miles of land, about 4,836 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Santa Cruz has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 64,522 (±59) | 61,607 (±64) | −4.5% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 24,563 (±679) | 23,888 (±712) | −2.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,889 (±$51) | $2,452 (±$128) | +29.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $854,200 (±$14,620) | $1,209,000 (±$34,264) | +41.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $77,921 (±$4,367) | $115,475 (±$6,419) | +48.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,886 (±$117) | $3,888 (±$184) | +34.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $4,911 (±$282) | $6,768 (±$503) | +37.8% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 53.0% (±2.3 points) | 51.6% (±2.5 points) | −1.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.8% (±1.3 points) | 4.2% (±1.5 points) | +2.4 percentage points | Measurable increase |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Santa Cruz
In 2025, the Santa Cruz Police Department reported 533 violent and 2,529 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Santa Cruz County, the departments that report recorded 320 violent and 1,334 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Santa Cruz
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95064 | 100% | 10,168 | $1,586 | $467,000 | $121,042 |
| 95062 | 35% | 35,607 | $2,427 | $1,076,500 | $112,106 |
| 95060 | 15% | 46,268 | $2,454 | $1,207,200 | $108,591 |
| 95065 | 12% | 7,997 | $2,746 | $1,228,500 | $153,222 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Santa Cruz
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Lakes | 2.6 mi | $2,344 | $959,100 | 59.2% |
| Live Oak (community) | 3.1 mi | $2,421 | $1,015,200 | 41.3% |
| Pleasure Point | 3.7 mi | $2,705 | $1,183,600 | 40.5% |
| Capitola | 4.5 mi | $2,512 | $783,000 | 47.8% |
| Soquel | 5.1 mi | $2,266 | $957,300 | 27.3% |
| Felton | 5.1 mi | $2,068 | $900,500 | 23.5% |
| Scotts Valley | 5.8 mi | $2,491 | $1,105,700 | 26.4% |
| Seacliff | 6.4 mi | $2,462 | $1,143,600 | 47.3% |
Places in California most like Santa Cruz
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Fair Oaks | $2,314 | $1,276,900 | $104,884 | 52.3% |
| Orange | $2,327 | $945,800 | $117,113 | 43.3% |
| Seacliff | $2,462 | $1,143,600 | $130,385 | 47.3% |
| Pacific Grove | $2,455 | $1,190,400 | $106,065 | 49.6% |
| Capitola | $2,512 | $783,000 | $102,976 | 47.8% |
| Huntington Beach | $2,510 | $1,100,000 | $120,919 | 44.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Santa Cruz, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,230 | $3,390 | $4,254 | $5,531 | $5,748 |
HUD income limits for Santa Cruz, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $45,700 | $76,150 | $122,200 |
| 2 people | $52,200 | $87,000 | $139,650 |
| 3 people | $58,750 | $97,900 | $157,100 |
| 4 people | $65,250 | $108,750 | $174,550 |
| 5 people | $70,500 | $117,450 | $188,500 |
| 6 people | $75,700 | $126,150 | $202,500 |
| 7 people | $80,950 | $134,850 | $216,450 |
| 8 people | $86,150 | $143,550 | $230,450 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $137,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Santa Cruz
What is the average rent in Santa Cruz, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Santa Cruz is $2,452 (±$128) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Cruz?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Santa Cruz, CA is $1,973 (±$167) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Santa Cruz rent-burdened?
54.0% of renting households in Santa Cruz pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz has an estimated 11,202 (±664) renting households, 51.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Santa Cruz?
The median household income in Santa Cruz is $115,475 (±$6,419) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Santa Cruz, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,209,000 (±$34,264) for owner-occupied homes in Santa Cruz (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Santa Cruz growing?
In Santa Cruz, the number of residents went from 64,522 in 2015–2019 to 61,607 in 2020–2024 (−4.5%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Santa Cruz?
The ZIP codes that cover Santa Cruz are 95064, 95062, 95060, 95065.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 95064?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 95064 is $1,586 (±$299) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Santa Cruz Police Department (ORI CA0440200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Santa Cruz city, California (place:69112, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .