What is the rental vacancy rate in Santa Cruz, CA?

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

The rental vacancy rate in Santa Cruz, CA is 4.2% (±1.5 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.9% (±1.0 points).

2,175 (±421) homes, 9.1% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Santa Cruz, the rental vacancy rate went from 1.8% in 2015–2019 to 4.2% in 2020–2024 (+2.4 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 4.2% (±1.5 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.9% (±1.0 points)
Vacant homes: 2,175 (±421)

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

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	4.2% (±1.5 points)	3.7% (±1.0 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.9% (±1.0 points)	0.9% (±0.4 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	2,175 (±421)	10,079 (±690)	1,096,644 (±18,928)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Santa Cruz, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Santa Cruz County (3.7%).

It is not measurably different from California (4.2%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Santa Cruz

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Santa Cruz
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Santa Cruz	—	4.2% (±1.5 points)	—
Twin Lakes	2.6 mi	2.2% (±3.2 points)	Not measurably different
Live Oak (community)	3.1 mi	1.7% (±2.0 points)	Not measurably different
Pleasure Point	3.7 mi	5.0% (±6.6 points)	Not measurably different
Capitola	4.5 mi	4.4% (±3.8 points)	Not measurably different
Soquel	5.1 mi	0.0% (±3.6 points)	Lower
Felton	5.1 mi	0.0% (±9.8 points)	Not measurably different
Scotts Valley	5.8 mi	10.2% (±9.0 points)	Not measurably different
Seacliff	6.4 mi	0.0% (±5.5 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Soquel, CA (0.0%).

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

Rental vacancy rate across Santa Cruz County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
2	Day Valley	12.4% (±18.7 points)
3	Scotts Valley	10.2% (±9.0 points)
4	Aptos	8.7% (±10.9 points)
5	Rio del Mar	8.5% (±7.7 points)
6	Pleasure Point	5.0% (±6.6 points)
7	Capitola	4.4% (±3.8 points)
8	Santa Cruz	4.2% (±1.5 points)
9	Watsonville	2.4% (±1.4 points)
10	Twin Lakes	2.2% (±3.2 points)
11	Live Oak (community)	1.7% (±2.0 points)
12 (tie)	Amesti	0.0% (±22.6 points)
12 (tie)	Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley	0.0% (±21.3 points)
12 (tie)	Ben Lomond	0.0% (±6.4 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), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Santa Cruz

Is it hard to find a rental in Santa Cruz?

The rental vacancy rate in Santa Cruz, CA is 4.2% (±1.5 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Santa Cruz tighter than it was?

In Santa Cruz, the rental vacancy rate went from 1.8% in 2015–2019 to 4.2% in 2020–2024 (+2.4 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How many homes are vacant in Santa Cruz?

An estimated 2,175 (±421) housing units, 9.1% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

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 DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

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.