What kinds of homes are in Santa Cruz, CA?

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

Santa Cruz, CA has 23,888 (±712) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 1,875 homes per square mile of land.

55.9% are detached single-family houses.

12.0% are in buildings of two to four units.

20.7% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 23,888 (±712)
Detached houses: 55.9%
2–4 unit buildings: 12.0%
5+ unit buildings: 20.7%

Homes in Santa Cruz by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	55.9% (±2.4 points)	63.3%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	9.5% (±1.4 points)	8.5%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	5.0% (±1.6 points)	3.4%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	7.0% (±1.5 points)	5.0%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	6.6% (±1.4 points)	4.1%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	3.0% (±0.8 points)	2.3%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	11.1% (±1.6 points)	6.5%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	1.7% (±0.7 points)	6.6%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.2% (±0.2 points)	0.3%	0.1%	0.1%

In Santa Cruz, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Santa Cruz County (12.9%).

It is also lower than in California (24.2%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Santa Cruz

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Cruz
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Santa Cruz	—	20.7% (±2.3 points)	—
Twin Lakes	2.6 mi	27.6% (±6.0 points)	Higher
Live Oak (community)	3.1 mi	13.6% (±3.1 points)	Lower
Pleasure Point	3.7 mi	4.1% (±2.2 points)	Lower
Capitola	4.5 mi	19.3% (±4.9 points)	Not measurably different
Soquel	5.1 mi	5.0% (±2.6 points)	Lower
Felton	5.1 mi	4.8% (±3.4 points)	Lower
Scotts Valley	5.8 mi	10.5% (±4.5 points)	Lower
Seacliff	6.4 mi	12.8% (±6.7 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Live Oak (community), CA (13.6%), Pleasure Point, CA (4.1%), Soquel, CA (5.0%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Twin Lakes, CA (27.6%).

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

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Santa Cruz County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Twin Lakes	27.6% (±6.0 points)
2	Watsonville	24.4% (±3.3 points)
3	Santa Cruz	20.7% (±2.3 points)
4	Capitola	19.3% (±4.9 points)
5	Live Oak (community)	13.6% (±3.1 points)
6	Seacliff	12.8% (±6.7 points)
7	Aptos	12.4% (±7.9 points)
8	Freedom	12.0% (±9.5 points)
9	Scotts Valley	10.5% (±4.5 points)

Showing 9 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

How many homes are in Santa Cruz?

Santa Cruz, CA has an estimated 23,888 (±712) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Santa Cruz houses or apartments?

55.9% are detached houses and 9.5% attached houses, while 32.7% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Santa Cruz?

12.0% of homes in Santa Cruz are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

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_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.