The Town FilesSanta Cruz, California
City in Santa Cruz County · population 62,956 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,209,000
- Household income
- $115,475
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 74°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 31.1
Santa Cruz is a city of 62,956 people in Santa Cruz County, California. The median home is worth $1,209,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 99% of California towns, better for cycling than 99% of California towns, hipper than 98% of California towns.
How Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz is worth $1,209,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 10.5 times the median household income of $115,475, which is more affordable than 7% of California towns. Median rent is $2,452 a month. 48.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Santa Cruz | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,209,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,452 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $115,475 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 10.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 48.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.5% | — |
Who lives in Santa Cruz
| People | Santa Cruz | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.1 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 11.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 17.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 13.1% | — |
| Work from home | 22.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in Santa Cruz
July highs average 74.3°F and January lows 41.4°F. About 30.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 6 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Cruz since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on December 14, 2024 about 5.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 14, 2024.
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 Santa Cruz itself the ACS puts it at 7.2%.
Public schools in Santa Cruz
28 public schools with 9,055 students, about 20.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz High | 9-12 | 1,104 | 22.1 |
| Harbor High | 9-12 | 1,040 | 19.3 |
| Santa Cruz County Community | 7-12 | 733 | 23.6 |
| Pacific Collegiate Charter (charter) | 7-12 | 540 | 16.9 |
| De Laveaga Elementary | K-5 | 507 | 24.1 |
| Mission Hill Middle | 6-8 | 500 | 20.0 |
| Westlake Elementary | K-5 | 471 | 24.8 |
| Brook Knoll Elementary | K-5 | 467 | 22.2 |
| Shoreline Middle | 6-8 | 463 | 17.8 |
| Branciforte Middle | 6-8 | 435 | 19.8 |
| Bay View Elementary | K-5 | 378 | 18.9 |
| Live Oak Elementary | K-5 | 362 | 22.6 |
Towns near Santa Cruz
- Twin Lakes, CA2.6 mi · 4,944 people · home $959,100
- Live Oak, CA3.1 mi · 17,038 people · home $1,015,200
- Pleasure Point, CA3.7 mi · 5,821 people · home $1,183,600
- Capitola, CA4.5 mi · 9,938 people · home $783,000
- Soquel, CA5.1 mi · 9,980 people · home $957,300
- Felton, CA5.1 mi · 4,489 people · home $900,500
- Scotts Valley, CA5.8 mi · 12,224 people · home $1,105,700
- Seacliff, CA6.4 mi · 3,280 people · home $1,143,600
Santa Cruz questions
Is Santa Cruz, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santa Cruz scores better for retirees than 42% of California towns and quieter than 20%. 15.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.1).
How much does a house cost in Santa Cruz?
The median owner-occupied home in Santa Cruz is valued at $1,209,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $115,475, so homes cost about 10.5 times income. Median rent is $2,452 a month.
What is the weather like in Santa Cruz?
July highs average 74.3°F and January lows 41.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Santa Cruz get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Cruz since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on December 14, 2024. 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)