Santa Cruz, California Housing Market Prices
Santa Cruz Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
-
Median home price 101% above the California median$1,306,034
-
Median rent 19% above the California median$2,416
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,306,034 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 23.8% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,416 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.7% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Santa Cruz is about 101% higher than in California. Rent is about 19% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Santa Cruz, up about 23.8% and 5.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Santa Cruz rose about 58.2% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,527 to $2,416. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 11.4 yearly household incomes in Santa Cruz.
Buying the median-priced home in Santa Cruz costs roughly 45.0 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Santa Cruz. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,306,034 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $114,502 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 11.4 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Santa Cruz rose about 129.3%, while median household income rose about 92.3% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 43.2% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 47.6% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.2% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 11.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2015 | 2011 | 2011 |
Santa Cruz has a homeownership rate of 43.2%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.2%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Santa Cruz | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.34 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1971 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Santa Cruz was built around 1971. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 4.6 rooms, staying for about 11.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Santa Cruz, California.
What is the median home price in Santa Cruz, California?
The median home price in Santa Cruz, California is $1,306,034, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Santa Cruz, California?
The typical home price in Santa Cruz, California, reported as the median sale price, is $1,306,034. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Santa Cruz, California?
The median gross rent in Santa Cruz, California is $2,416 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Santa Cruz in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Santa Cruz, California was $2,018 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Santa Cruz, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Santa Cruz, California is about 45.0, meaning it would take roughly 45.0 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Santa Cruz.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Santa Cruz, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Santa Cruz, up about 23.8% and 5.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Santa Cruz, California?
43.2% of households in Santa Cruz, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Santa Cruz, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Santa Cruz, California is 9.2%, higher than the California average of 7.5%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →