What is the median rent in Santa Cruz, CA?

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

The median gross rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $2,452 (±$128) a month, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

That is across 10,720 rented homes; gross rent is the contract rent plus the utilities and fuels a renter pays separately.

In Santa Cruz, the median gross rent went from $1,889 in 2015–2019 to $2,452 in 2020–2024 (+29.8%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Median gross rent: $2,452 (±$128)
Rented homes: 10,720 (±667)
$2,000 or more: 64.0%
Since 2015–2019: +29.8%

How much rent costs in Santa Cruz

Share of rented homes in each gross-rent range, 2020–2024
Monthly gross rent	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz County	California	United States
Less than $500	5.9% (±1.6 points)	5.7%	3.6%	6.3%
$500 to $999	7.4% (±2.2 points)	6.8%	7.2%	20.2%
$1,000 to $1,499	7.0% (±2.4 points)	9.8%	16.2%	28.1%
$1,500 to $1,999	15.7% (±3.1 points)	17.4%	21.5%	21.1%
$2,000 to $2,499	15.5% (±3.5 points)	19.5%	19.8%	12.0%
$2,500 to $2,999	16.4% (±3.5 points)	14.5%	12.5%	5.5%
$3,000 or more	32.1% (±3.8 points)	26.3%	19.1%	6.8%

The most common range is $3,000 or more, paid by 32.1% of renting households.

64.0% of rented homes in Santa Cruz cost $2,000 or more a month.

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 gross rent	$2,452 (±$128)	$2,264 (±$51)	$2,036 (±$5)	$1,413
Rented homes paying rent	10,720 (±667)	36,919 (±1,049)	5,783,331 (±22,650)	42,849,984

In Santa Cruz, median gross rent is higher than in Santa Cruz County ($2,264).

It is also higher than in California ($2,036).

It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).

In Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz ranks 9 of 23 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median gross rent.

Statewide, it ranks 215 of 1,010.

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

How rent in Santa Cruz has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Median gross rent	$1,889 (±$51)	$2,452 (±$128)	+29.8%	No measurable change 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.

Median gross rent in places near Santa Cruz

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Cruz
Place	Distance	Median gross rent	Compared with this place
Santa Cruz	—	$2,452 (±$128)	—
Twin Lakes	2.6 mi	$2,344 (±$216)	Not measurably different
Live Oak (community)	3.1 mi	$2,421 (±$175)	Not measurably different
Pleasure Point	3.7 mi	$2,705 (±$400)	Not measurably different
Capitola	4.5 mi	$2,512 (±$193)	Not measurably different
Soquel	5.1 mi	$2,266 (±$248)	Not measurably different
Felton	5.1 mi	$2,068 (±$296)	Lower
Scotts Valley	5.8 mi	$2,491 (±$302)	Not measurably different
Seacliff	6.4 mi	$2,462 (±$172)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Felton, CA ($2,068).

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

Median gross rent across Santa Cruz County, place by place

Rank	Place	Median gross rent
3	La Selva Beach	$3,379 (±$763)
4	Pleasure Point	$2,705 (±$400)
5	Ben Lomond	$2,514 (±$421)
6	Capitola	$2,512 (±$193)
7	Scotts Valley	$2,491 (±$302)
8	Seacliff	$2,462 (±$172)
9	Santa Cruz	$2,452 (±$128)
10	Live Oak (community)	$2,421 (±$175)
11	Twin Lakes	$2,344 (±$216)
12	Soquel	$2,266 (±$248)
13	Corralitos	$2,218 (±$1,215)
14	Felton	$2,068 (±$296)
15	Aptos	$2,059 (±$957)

Showing 13 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.

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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 has rent gone up in Santa Cruz?

In Santa Cruz, the median gross rent went from $1,889 in 2015–2019 to $2,452 in 2020–2024 (+29.8%).

Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.

How many rentals in Santa Cruz cost more than $2,000 a month?

64.0% of rented homes in Santa Cruz have a gross rent of $2,000 or more a month, and 5.9% cost less than $500.

Is rent in Santa Cruz higher than in Santa Cruz County?

In Santa Cruz, median gross rent is higher than in Santa Cruz County ($2,264).

It is also higher than in California ($2,036).

It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).

Is this the rent for an apartment listed today?

No: these are rents households reported paying across 2020–2024, not asking rents for vacant homes, which usually run higher.

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 B25064_001E, B25064_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP04_0126E, DP04_0126M, DP04_0127PE, DP04_0127PM, DP04_0128PE, DP04_0128PM, DP04_0129PE, DP04_0129PM, DP04_0130PE, DP04_0130PM, DP04_0131PE, DP04_0131PM, DP04_0132PE, DP04_0132PM, DP04_0133PE, DP04_0133PM

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.