The Town FilesRio del Mar, California
Community in Santa Cruz County · population 9,128 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,338,100
- Household income
- $159,929
- Jan low / Jul high
- 40° / 72°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 51.4
Rio del Mar is a community of 9,128 people in Santa Cruz County, California. The median home is worth $1,338,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 92% of California towns, more upscale than 89% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 85% of California towns.
How Rio del Mar ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Rio del Mar is worth $1,338,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.4 times the median household income of $159,929, which is more affordable than 21% of California towns. Median rent is $3,407 a month. 75.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rio del Mar | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,338,100 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,407 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $159,929 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 75.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 17.8% | — |
Who lives in Rio del Mar
| People | Rio del Mar | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 17.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.3% | — |
| Work from home | 30.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 30.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in Rio del Mar
July highs average 72.4°F and January lows 40.1°F. About 22.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 7 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rio del Mar since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on December 20, 2001 about 5.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 6, 2019.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on April 1, 1965.
Severe weather in Santa Cruz County since 1996
Santa Cruz County has been included in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County had 104,514 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $67,622 a year. Unemployment was 5.7% in 2023; in Rio del Mar itself the ACS puts it at 5.7%.
Towns near Rio del Mar
- Seacliff, CA2.3 mi · 3,280 people · home $1,143,600
- Aptos, CA2.3 mi · 6,664 people · home $1,093,300
- La Selva Beach, CA3.1 mi · 2,531 people · home $1,325,700
- Capitola, CA4.0 mi · 9,938 people · home $783,000
- Soquel, CA4.5 mi · 9,980 people · home $957,300
- Pleasure Point, CA4.7 mi · 5,821 people · home $1,183,600
- Day Valley, CA4.9 mi · 3,410 people · home $1,279,300
- Freedom, CA5.1 mi · 3,835 people · home $755,300
Rio del Mar questions
Is Rio del Mar, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rio del Mar scores better for retirees than 80% of California towns and quieter than 56%. 25.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.4).
How much does a house cost in Rio del Mar?
The median owner-occupied home in Rio del Mar is valued at $1,338,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $159,929, so homes cost about 8.4 times income. Median rent is $3,407 a month.
What is the weather like in Rio del Mar?
July highs average 72.4°F and January lows 40.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 22.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Rio del Mar get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rio del Mar since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on December 20, 2001. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)