What is the median home value in Santa Cruz, CA?

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

The median value of owner-occupied homes in Santa Cruz, CA is $1,209,000 (±$34,264), as owners estimated it in the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

In Santa Cruz, the median home value went from $854,200 in 2015–2019 to $1,209,000 in 2020–2024 (+41.5%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Median home value: $1,209,000 (±$34,264)
Owner-occupied homes: 10,511 (±620)
Most common range: $1,000,000 or more

Home values in Santa Cruz

Owner-occupied homes by value, 2020–2024
Value	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz County	California	United States
Less than $50,000	1.8% (±1.3 points)	1.5%	2.5%	5.3%
$50,000 to $99,999	0.2% (±0.2 points)	0.7%	1.7%	6.1%
$100,000 to $149,999	1.4% (±0.8 points)	1.5%	1.3%	6.8%
$150,000 to $199,999	0.5% (±0.3 points)	0.7%	1.4%	9.0%
$200,000 to $299,999	2.1% (±1.0 points)	2.4%	4.3%	17.8%
$300,000 to $499,999	3.1% (±1.2 points)	7.0%	17.1%	26.9%
$500,000 to $999,999	19.1% (±2.9 points)	34.0%	42.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 or more	71.8% (±3.4 points)	52.2%	29.6%	7.1%

The most common range is $1,000,000 or more, 71.8% of owned homes.

Value is the owner’s own estimate of what the home and lot would sell for, not a sale price or an assessment.

Santa Cruz against Santa Cruz County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz County	California	United States
Median home value	$1,209,000 (±$34,264)	$1,027,500 (±$15,133)	$734,700 (±$1,307)	$332,700
Owner-occupied homes	10,511 (±620)	58,079 (±1,134)	7,567,568 (±37,334)	84,210,142

In Santa Cruz, the median home value is higher than in Santa Cruz County ($1,027,500).

It is also higher than in California ($734,700).

It is higher than the national figure ($332,700).

In Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz ranks 5 of 23 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median home value.

Statewide, it ranks 149 of 1,059.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How home values in Santa Cruz have changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Median home value	$854,200 (±$14,620)	$1,209,000 (±$34,264)	+41.5%	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

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.

Median home value in places near Santa Cruz

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Cruz
Place	Distance	Median home value	Compared with this place
Santa Cruz	—	$1,209,000 (±$34,264)	—
Twin Lakes	2.6 mi	$959,100 (±$189,286)	Lower
Live Oak (community)	3.1 mi	$1,015,200 (±$53,562)	Lower
Pleasure Point	3.7 mi	$1,183,600 (±$126,636)	Not measurably different
Capitola	4.5 mi	$783,000 (±$165,285)	Lower
Soquel	5.1 mi	$957,300 (±$88,523)	Lower
Felton	5.1 mi	$900,500 (±$56,197)	Lower
Scotts Valley	5.8 mi	$1,105,700 (±$56,090)	Lower
Seacliff	6.4 mi	$1,143,600 (±$47,477)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Twin Lakes, CA ($959,100), Live Oak (community), CA ($1,015,200), Capitola, CA ($783,000).

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

Median home value across Santa Cruz County, place by place

Rank	Place	Median home value
1	Corralitos	$2,000,000 or more
2	Rio del Mar	$1,338,100 (±$137,763)
3	La Selva Beach	$1,325,700 (±$245,203)
4	Day Valley	$1,279,300 (±$123,127)
5	Santa Cruz	$1,209,000 (±$34,264)
6	Bonny Doon	$1,201,900 (±$133,261)
7	Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley	$1,185,000 (±$449,530)
8	Pleasure Point	$1,183,600 (±$126,636)
9	Seacliff	$1,143,600 (±$47,477)
10	Scotts Valley	$1,105,700 (±$56,090)
11	Aptos	$1,093,300 (±$66,507)

Showing 11 of 23 places in Santa Cruz County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Santa Cruz

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Santa Cruz beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Santa Cruz, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Santa Cruz, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Santa Cruz

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).

Have home values in Santa Cruz gone up?

In Santa Cruz, the median home value went from $854,200 in 2015–2019 to $1,209,000 in 2020–2024 (+41.5%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.

Is this what homes in Santa Cruz sell for?

No: it is the value owners reported, which tends to lag the market; recent sale prices and an appraisal answer that question.

Sources

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 B25077_001E, B25077_001M, B25088_002E, B25088_002M, B25103_001E, B25103_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0081PE, DP04_0081PM, DP04_0082PE, DP04_0082PM, DP04_0083PE, DP04_0083PM, DP04_0084PE, DP04_0084PM, DP04_0085PE, DP04_0085PM, DP04_0086PE, DP04_0086PM, DP04_0087PE, DP04_0087PM, DP04_0088PE, DP04_0088PM

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.