Santa Cruz County, California Housing Market Prices
Santa Cruz County 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.
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Median home price 71% above the California median Among the 5 most expensive counties in California$1,111,762
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Median rent 11% above the California median More expensive than 86% of counties in California$2,264
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,111,762 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 14.9% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,264 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.5% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Santa Cruz County is about 71% higher than in California. Rent is about 11% 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 County, up about 14.9% and 5.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Santa Cruz County rose about 57.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,441 to $2,264. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 10.0 yearly household incomes in Santa Cruz County.
Buying the median-priced home in Santa Cruz County costs roughly 40.9 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 County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,111,762 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $111,078 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 10.0 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Santa Cruz County rose about 108.1%, while median household income rose about 67.0% 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 County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 54.3% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 36.3% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.4% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
Santa Cruz County has a homeownership rate of 54.3%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.4%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Santa Cruz County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.57 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1973 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Santa Cruz County was built around 1973. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 4.9 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Santa Cruz County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Santa Cruz County, CA is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 264,809 residents against a local median of 1,163,035. Santa Cruz County, CA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 13% below the local median at $1,111,762 against $1,276,188. Santa Cruz County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | $1,111,762 #4/6 | $2,264 #6/6 | 59.9% #2/6 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | $1,378,776 | $2,856 | 55.1% |
| San Mateo County, CA | 733,246 | $1,744,985 | $2,920 | 58.2% |
| Alameda County, CA | 1,648,382 | $833,751 | $2,356 | 54.4% |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 1,163,035 | $663,272 | $2,374 | 68.0% |
| San Francisco County, CA | 829,818 | $1,276,188 | $2,475 | 38.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Santa Cruz County, California.
What is the median home price in Santa Cruz County, California?
The median home price in Santa Cruz County, California is $1,111,762, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Santa Cruz County, California?
The typical home price in Santa Cruz County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $1,111,762. 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 County, California?
The median gross rent in Santa Cruz County, California is $2,264 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Santa Cruz County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Santa Cruz County, California was $1,842 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Santa Cruz County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Santa Cruz County, California is about 40.9, meaning it would take roughly 40.9 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 County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Santa Cruz County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Santa Cruz County, up about 14.9% and 5.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Santa Cruz County, California?
54.3% of households in Santa Cruz County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Santa Cruz County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Santa Cruz County, California is 9.4%, higher than the California average of 7.5%.
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