How are homes heated in Santa Cruz, CA?

Name: Heating fuel in Santa Cruz, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Santa Cruz, used by 67.9% (±2.5 points) of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

26.6% heat with electricity.

0.0% heat with fuel oil or kerosene.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Utility gas: 67.9% (±2.5 points)
Electricity: 26.6%
Fuel oil, kerosene: 0.0%

Heating fuel in Santa Cruz

Occupied housing units by house heating fuel, 2020–2024
Fuel used most	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz County	California	United States
Utility gas	67.9% (±2.5 points)	57.3%	61.0%	46.5%
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc.	0.0% (±0.2 points)	0.2%	0.2%	3.9%
Electricity	26.6% (±2.4 points)	25.9%	29.5%	41.3%
Bottled or tank gas (propane)	2.3% (±0.9 points)	9.9%	3.4%	4.9%
Wood	0.8% (±0.4 points)	3.8%	1.3%	1.4%
Solar energy	0.8% (±0.5 points)	1.0%	1.2%	0.3%
Coal or coke	0.0% (±0.2 points)	0.0%	0.0%	0.1%
Other fuel	0.1% (±0.1 points)	0.6%	0.3%	0.5%
No fuel used	1.5% (±0.9 points)	1.3%	3.0%	1.2%

The survey asks which fuel is used most to heat the home, so a home with a heat pump and an oil backup is counted once, under the one it uses most.

In Santa Cruz, the share of homes heating with fuel oil is not measurably different from Santa Cruz County (0.2%).

It is not measurably different from California (0.2%).

It is lower than the national figure (3.9%).

In Santa Cruz, the share of homes heating with electricity is not measurably different from Santa Cruz County (25.9%).

It is also lower than in California (29.5%).

It is lower than the national figure (41.3%).

Homes heated by electricity in places near Santa Cruz

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Cruz
Place	Distance	Homes heated by electricity	Compared with this place
Santa Cruz	—	26.6% (±2.4 points)	—
Twin Lakes	2.6 mi	24.6% (±6.5 points)	Not measurably different
Live Oak (community)	3.1 mi	26.3% (±3.4 points)	Not measurably different
Pleasure Point	3.7 mi	13.8% (±5.1 points)	Lower
Capitola	4.5 mi	27.1% (±5.9 points)	Not measurably different
Soquel	5.1 mi	14.3% (±3.9 points)	Lower
Felton	5.1 mi	16.5% (±6.6 points)	Lower
Scotts Valley	5.8 mi	16.3% (±4.1 points)	Lower
Seacliff	6.4 mi	19.2% (±7.7 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Pleasure Point, CA (13.8%), Soquel, CA (14.3%), Felton, CA (16.5%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes heated by fuel oil across Santa Cruz County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes heated by fuel oil
3 (tie)	Watsonville	0.5% (±0.6 points)
3 (tie)	Rio del Mar	0.5% (±0.7 points)
5	Scotts Valley	0.4% (±0.6 points)
6	Ben Lomond	0.3% (±0.5 points)
7	Pleasure Point	0.2% (±0.4 points)
8 (tie)	Capitola	0.0% (±0.9 points)
8 (tie)	Santa Cruz	0.0% (±0.2 points)
8 (tie)	Amesti	0.0% (±4.9 points)
8 (tie)	Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley	0.0% (±5.0 points)
8 (tie)	Bonny Doon	0.0% (±4.0 points)
8 (tie)	Boulder Creek	0.0% (±2.1 points)
8 (tie)	Brookdale	0.0% (±6.2 points)
8 (tie)	Corralitos	0.0% (±4.2 points)

Showing 13 of 23 places in Santa Cruz County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Santa Cruz

What is the most common way to heat a home in Santa Cruz?

Utility gas is the most common heating fuel in Santa Cruz, used by 67.9% of occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many homes in Santa Cruz heat with oil?

0.0% (±0.2 points) of occupied homes in Santa Cruz use fuel oil or kerosene as their main heating fuel.

How many homes in Santa Cruz have electric heat?

26.6% (±2.4 points) of occupied homes in Santa Cruz heat mainly with electricity, which includes heat pumps.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Santa Cruz city, California

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0063PE, DP04_0063PM, DP04_0066PE, DP04_0066PM, DP04_0065PE, DP04_0065PM, DP04_0064PE, DP04_0064PM, DP04_0068PE, DP04_0068PM, DP04_0069PE, DP04_0069PM, DP04_0067PE, DP04_0067PM, DP04_0070PE, DP04_0070PM, DP04_0071PE, DP04_0071PM

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.