Housing data for Watsonville, CA
Watsonville, CA has an estimated 51,712 residents and 15,790 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Santa Cruz County.
55.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,889 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−3.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 51,712 (±34)
- Housing units
- 15,790 (±622)
- Households that rent
- 55.2%
- Median gross rent
- $1,889
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.9%
What stands out in Watsonville
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 24.4% (±3.3 points) in Watsonville, higher than in Santa Cruz County (12.9%).
Working from home: 6.4% (±1.5 points) in Watsonville, lower than in Santa Cruz County (19.3%).
Median home value: $686,000 (±$24,605) in Watsonville, lower than in Santa Cruz County ($1,027,500).
Households that rent: 55.2% (±3.1 points) in Watsonville, higher than in Santa Cruz County (40.1%).
- Types of homes in Watsonville
- Commute and cars in Watsonville
- Home values in Watsonville
- Renters and owners in Watsonville
Housing in Watsonville at a glance
- Median rent: $1,889 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,775 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 55.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 55.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $78,393 median household income
- Home values: $686,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,745 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,375 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 24.4% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 45.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 56.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 2.4% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 47.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 26.1 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 415 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −3.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 14.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 21.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Watsonville against Santa Cruz County, its state and the nation
| Watsonville | Santa Cruz County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 51,712 (±34) | 264,926 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 15,790 (±622) | 106,977 (±177) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 55.2% (±3.1 points) | 40.1% (±1.1 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,889 (±$100) | $2,264 (±$51) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $78,393 (±$5,682) | $111,093 (±$2,734) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $686,000 (±$24,605) | $1,027,500 (±$15,133) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,375 (±$434) | $6,538 (±$166) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 56.5% (±4.5 points) | 63.5% (±1.9 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 26.1 minutes (±1.3) | 25.7 minutes (±0.6) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 89.5% (±2.6 points) | 94.2% (±0.7 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 33.8 years (±1.2) | 39.8 years (±0.3) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Watsonville covers 6.8 square miles of land, about 7,620 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Watsonville has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 53,800 (±45) | 51,712 (±34) | −3.9% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 15,196 (±502) | 15,790 (±622) | +3.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,409 (±$55) | $1,889 (±$100) | +34.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $464,200 (±$19,249) | $686,000 (±$24,605) | +47.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $55,470 (±$2,920) | $78,393 (±$5,682) | +41.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,096 (±$141) | $2,745 (±$174) | +31.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,306 (±$258) | $4,375 (±$434) | +32.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 56.8% (±2.8 points) | 55.2% (±3.1 points) | −1.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.0% (±1.0 points) | 2.4% (±1.4 points) | +1.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
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.
Crime reported to police in Watsonville
In 2025, the Watsonville Police Department reported 415 violent and 993 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Santa Cruz County, the departments that report recorded 320 violent and 1,334 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Watsonville
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95019 | 83% | 5,933 | $1,447 | $735,200 | $67,474 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Watsonville
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom | 1.7 mi | $1,621 | $755,300 | 43.4% |
| Pajaro | 2.3 mi | $1,850 | $750,000 | 68.7% |
| Amesti | 2.5 mi | $1,660 | $879,400 | 19.3% |
| Interlaken | 2.7 mi | $1,941 | $831,000 | 33.6% |
| La Selva Beach | 4.0 mi | $3,379 | $1,325,700 | 21.6% |
| Corralitos | 4.3 mi | $2,218 | $2,000,000 or more | 20.4% |
| Las Lomas | 4.4 mi | $1,969 | $687,300 | 39.9% |
| Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley | 4.4 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,185,000 | 21.1% |
Places in California most like Watsonville
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas | $1,991 | $654,100 | $91,908 | 53.0% |
| Castroville | $1,948 | $617,100 | $89,354 | 54.5% |
| Paramount | $1,875 | $533,700 | $75,250 | 57.0% |
| Sacramento | $1,779 | $506,300 | $87,321 | 48.3% |
| El Monte | $1,736 | $644,000 | $68,030 | 59.8% |
| Oxnard | $2,032 | $652,700 | $96,212 | 45.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Watsonville, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,230 | $3,390 | $4,254 | $5,531 | $5,748 |
HUD income limits for Watsonville, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $45,700 | $76,150 | $122,200 |
| 2 people | $52,200 | $87,000 | $139,650 |
| 3 people | $58,750 | $97,900 | $157,100 |
| 4 people | $65,250 | $108,750 | $174,550 |
| 5 people | $70,500 | $117,450 | $188,500 |
| 6 people | $75,700 | $126,150 | $202,500 |
| 7 people | $80,950 | $134,850 | $216,450 |
| 8 people | $86,150 | $143,550 | $230,450 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $137,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
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 Watsonville
What is the average rent in Watsonville, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Watsonville is $1,889 (±$100) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Watsonville?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Watsonville, CA is $1,558 (±$220) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Watsonville rent-burdened?
55.2% of renting households in Watsonville pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Watsonville?
Watsonville has an estimated 8,358 (±535) renting households, 55.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Watsonville?
The median household income in Watsonville is $78,393 (±$5,682) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Watsonville, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $686,000 (±$24,605) for owner-occupied homes in Watsonville (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Watsonville growing?
In Watsonville, the number of residents went from 53,800 in 2015–2019 to 51,712 in 2020–2024 (−3.9%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Watsonville?
The ZIP code that covers Watsonville is 95019.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 95019?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 95019 is $1,447 (±$200) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watsonville city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watsonville city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watsonville city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watsonville city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Watsonville city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watsonville city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Watsonville city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Watsonville Police Department (ORI CA0440300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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 Watsonville city, California (place:83668, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .