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Santa Cruz County, CA Community Stats

Santa Cruz County has 264,926 residents and a median household income of $111,093, 11th highest of 58 counties in California (ACS 2020-2024).

Median household income
$111,093
CA $99,122
Poverty rate
11.6%
CA 12.0%
Bachelor's or higher
43.9%
CA 37.1%
Median age
39.8
CA 37.9

Santa Cruz County compared

With CA and U.S.

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

MeasureSanta Cruz CountyCAU.S.
Median household income$111,093$99,122$80,734
Median age39.837.938.9
Poverty rate11.6%12.0%12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher43.9%37.1%35.7%
Homeownership rate59.9%55.9%65.2%
Median home value$1,027,500$734,700$332,700
Median gross rent$2,264$2,036$1,413
Average commute25.7 min28.7 min26.4 min
Born outside the U.S.18.0%27.0%14.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates

Cities and towns in Santa Cruz County

Sorted by population, highest first

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#City or townPopulationMedian incomePovertyBachelor's+Own home
1Santa Cruz61,607$115,47517.0%57.6%48.4%
2Watsonville51,712$78,39314.7%12.4%44.8%
3Live Oak16,911$103,67412.9%40.8%58.7%
4Scotts Valley12,044$143,7505.9%55.6%73.6%
5Soquel10,679$118,7779.7%48.0%72.7%
6Capitola9,689$102,97612.9%47.9%52.2%
7Rio del Mar9,201$159,9292.3%65.2%75.2%
8Interlaken8,068$109,15014.9%16.1%66.4%
9Ben Lomond6,858$130,0414.9%47.5%76.8%
10Aptos6,404$134,0485.9%49.5%71.1%
11Pleasure Point5,489$119,8218.9%55.8%59.5%
12Twin Lakes5,073$90,08710.6%48.3%40.8%
13Boulder Creek4,632$84,1567.1%40.2%76.5%
14Felton4,093$123,0563.6%61.1%76.5%
15Day Valley3,579$155,0004.1%50.1%83.5%
16Seacliff3,299$130,3855.5%45.1%52.7%
17Freedom3,172$93,7507.3%24.8%56.6%
18Bonny Doon3,149$144,81316.2%48.1%77.2%
19Amesti2,818$108,83313.4%20.4%80.7%
20La Selva Beach2,302$160,8339.2%62.5%78.4%
21Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley2,127$158,7887.9%43.7%78.9%
22Corralitos1,884$171,1137.4%40.7%79.6%
23Brookdale1,378$87,35814.0%47.8%45.2%
24Mount Hermon939$157,6041.1%72.6%67.3%
25Lompico788$91,60010.9%39.3%96.7%
26Pasatiempo610$215,4691.8%77.8%92.0%
27Paradise Park470$54,5000.0%27.8%83.7%
28Davenport403$72,1717.2%25.1%32.3%
29Zayante399$182,8571.8%55.9%69.0%
30Pajaro Dunes143$112,5000.0%66.4%100.0%

Income and poverty

Income in the past 12 months, in inflation-adjusted dollars

Median household income
$111,093
Per capita income
$56,941
Below poverty level
29,478 people (11.6%)

Education

Highest level completed, 178,903 adults age 25 and older

  • High school graduate or higher158,48288.6%
  • Bachelor's degree or higher78,60343.9%
  • Graduate or professional degree33,30118.6%

Race and ethnicity

Share of total population. Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; other groups exclude them.

  • White (non-Hispanic)142,83153.9%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race)93,34635.2%
  • Asian12,3454.7%
  • Two or more races11,9634.5%
  • Black or African American1,9120.7%
  • Some other race1,9070.7%
  • Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander3870.1%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native2350.1%

18.0% of residents (47,705) were born outside the United States.

Languages spoken at home

253,284 residents age 5 and older

66.4% speak only English at home and 33.6% speak another language. 30,682 people (12.1%) speak English less than "very well."

  • Spanish66,83826.4%
  • Other Indo-European languages4,1281.6%
  • Chinese (incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)3,1801.3%
  • German or other West Germanic2,2130.9%
  • Other Asian and Pacific Island languages2,1890.9%
  • Russian, Polish or other Slavic1,4350.6%
  • Arabic1,2260.5%
  • French, Haitian or Cajun1,0830.4%

Commute to work

101,503 workers who do not work from home

The average one-way commute is 25.7 minutes.

  • Under 10 minutes14.2%
  • 10 to 19 minutes32.3%
  • 20 to 29 minutes18.4%
  • 30 to 44 minutes16.4%
  • 45 to 59 minutes9.2%
  • 60 minutes or more9.4%

Housing

Owner-occupied home values and rents paid by renters

Median home value
$1,027,500
Median gross rent
$2,264 a month
Homeownership rate
59.9% of 96,898 households
Housing units
106,977
Median year built
1974

See home value trends and rents for Santa Cruz County

Cultural communities

Largest reported origins and ancestries. People may report more than one.

Asian groups count people reporting one Asian group alone. Hispanic origins and ancestries are self-reported and can overlap.

ZIP codes in Santa Cruz County

Sorted by population, highest first

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

#ZIP codePopulationMedian incomePovertyBachelor's+Own home
19507682,806$91,09913.8%18.5%56.7%
29506046,268$108,59117.4%54.7%51.5%
39506235,607$112,10612.2%49.8%53.5%
49500324,951$148,4124.1%56.1%70.6%
59506615,135$151,2505.7%56.7%76.5%
69507311,639$118,16913.0%48.4%73.3%
79506410,168$121,04218.7%75.7%34.7%
8950108,707$105,23611.9%48.3%48.9%
9950657,997$153,2228.6%53.0%71.7%
10950067,561$102,1676.4%39.4%76.5%
11950057,277$104,3757.0%46.8%71.9%
12950186,594$129,4644.3%58.4%81.3%
13950195,933$67,47412.9%14.9%29.7%
1495041623$96,8981.6%69.5%52.4%
1595017616$102,6257.2%40.5%37.6%
1695007396$91,3520.0%41.9%19.9%

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Santa Cruz County, CA?
About 264,926 people live in Santa Cruz County, according to the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. The median age is 39.8.
What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
The median household income in Santa Cruz County is $111,093, compared with $99,122 for California. It ranks 11th of 58 counties in the state.
What is the poverty rate in Santa Cruz County?
11.6% of people in Santa Cruz County (29,478) have incomes below the federal poverty level. The California rate is 12.0%.
How long is the commute in Santa Cruz County?
The average one-way commute for workers in Santa Cruz County is 25.7 minutes.
What is the largest reported ancestry or origin group in Santa Cruz County?
Among the groups we track, the largest is Mexican Americans with about 80,460 people (30.4% of residents), based on self-reported survey answers.