Santa Cruz County, Arizona Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Santa Cruz County, AZ Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Arizona
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,922 | 7,356,359 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 39.6 | 64.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.63% | 1.15% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.8 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,965 | 2,847,012 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Santa Cruz County grew by 15.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 48,922 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Santa Cruz County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.9% of residents. That is 0.4 points below Arizona as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,701 21.9% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,181 18.8% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,708 17.8% -1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,094 18.6% +1.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arizona, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Santa Cruz County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Arizona 50.0%
- Men 48.4% Arizona 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Santa Cruz County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Santa Cruz County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,254 | $80,381 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.10% | 5.72% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 12.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Santa Cruz County is about 34% lower than in Arizona.
Housing
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $247,409 | $367,851 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $829 | $1,543 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Santa Cruz County is about 24.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $829 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Santa Cruz County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.9 | 44.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,636 | $5,798 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 18.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,037 | 9,219 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 492 | 1,948 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arizona:
La Paz County (10.3 min), Gila County (13.4 min), Greenlee County (13.9 min).
Slowest:
Pinal County (31.0 min), Maricopa County (23.1 min), Pima County (22.2 min).
The average commute time in Santa Cruz County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Arizona.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Santa Cruz County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.2% | 29.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.87 | 2.53 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arizona:
Coconino County (0.3), Pima County (0.3), Maricopa County (0.3).
Lowest:
La Paz County (0.2), Apache County (0.2), Yuma County (0.2).
Health
Santa Cruz County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.5 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.5% | 19.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.0% | 19.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arizona:
Greenlee County (0.8), Coconino County (0.8), Maricopa County (0.8).
Lowest:
Apache County (0.8), La Paz County (0.8), Navajo County (0.8).
Santa Cruz County, AZ Compared With Nearby Counties
Santa Cruz County, AZ is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 48,922 residents against a local median of 297,251. Santa Cruz County, AZ's median household income, at $53,254, runs 23% below the $69,140 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $21,311 on median household income, so Santa Cruz County, AZ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Santa Cruz County, AZ has the 5th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County, AZ | 48,922 | $53,254 #5/5 | $247,409 #3/5 | 17.9 min #3/5 |
| Pima County, AZ | 1,060,282 | $70,370 | $333,054 | 22.2 min |
| Cochise County, AZ | 125,520 | $59,729 | $173,848 | 16.7 min |
| Pinal County, AZ | 468,983 | $81,040 | $322,522 | 31.0 min |
| Graham County, AZ | 39,230 | $67,909 | $166,519 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Santa Cruz County, Arizona.
What is the population of Santa Cruz County, Arizona?
About 48,922 people live in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, in 16,965 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 35.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Santa Cruz County, Arizona urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Santa Cruz County, Arizona has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 46% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Santa Cruz County, Arizona?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($247,409 against $53,254), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $829 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Santa Cruz County, Arizona?
Unemployment in Santa Cruz County, Arizona is 12.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Santa Cruz County, Arizona have a college degree?
21.2% of adults in Santa Cruz County, Arizona hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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