County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Santa Cruz County
- What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
- The median household income in Santa Cruz County is $109,266 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Santa Cruz County?
- The poverty rate in Santa Cruz County is 5.8% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Santa Cruz County?
- $1,015,200 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Santa Cruz County?
- The median gross rent in Santa Cruz County is $2,172 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Santa Cruz County residents have a college degree?
- 43.6% of adults in Santa Cruz County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
266,021
Median Income
$109,266
Median Home Value
$1,015,200
Poverty Rate
5.8%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
5.6%
Median Age
39.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$27,032 (+32.9%)
Home Value:
+$258,600 (+34.2%)
Poverty Rate:
-1.6 pp (-21.6%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.8 pp (+6.9%)
Unemployment:
-0.1 pp (-1.8%)
Demographics
Total Population
266,021
Median Age
39.0
Female
50.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 35.0%
White (non-Hisp.) 54.6%
Black 1.0%
Asian 4.7%
Two or More 13.7%
Other 16.6%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
1.4%
Filipino
0.9%
Indian
0.8%
Japanese
0.5%
Korean
0.3%
Vietnamese
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
30.5%
Puerto Rican
0.4%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$109,266
±$2,959
+$12,932 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$149,642
Median Family Income
$131,966
Poverty Rate
5.8%
-2.6 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
8.2%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
9.3%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
25.8%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
3.7%
$10–15k
2.7%
$15–25k
5.1%
$25–35k
4.8%
$35–50k
7.5%
$50–75k
11.2%
$75–100k
11.5%
$100–150k
17.1%
$150–200k
12.6%
$200k+
23.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
106,635
Owner-Occupied
60.0%
Renter-Occupied
40.0%
Vacancy Rate
9.2%
Median Home Value
$1,015,200
+$319,800 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$2,172
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
30.3%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
43.3%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
1.3%
$50–100k
0.6%
$100–200k
1.6%
$200–300k
2.5%
$300–500k
7.2%
$500k–$1M
34.5%
$1M+
51.4%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
5.7%
$500–1k
7.2%
$1–1.5k
10.9%
$1.5–2k
19.5%
$2–2.5k
19.4%
$2.5–3.5k
12.9%
$3.5k+
24.4%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
5.3%
1 vehicle
27.1%
2 vehicles
37.9%
3+
29.8%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
63.8%
Single-fam. att.
8.4%
2–4 units
3.1%
5–19 units
4.3%
20+ units
6.4%
Mobile home
6.5%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
12.1%
1940–1969
7.0%
1970–1999
20.8%
2000–2009
8.0%
2010+
3.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
88.5%
Bachelor's or Higher
43.6%
+7.1 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
18.3%
Some College / Associate
21.2%
Less Than High School
6.9%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
63.5%
Unemployment Rate
5.6%
-0.8 pp vs. state
Work from Home
17.6%
Self-Employed
9.2%
Government Workers
16.4%
Private For-Profit
74.1%
Industry
Edu/Health
25.1%
Prof. Services
14.0%
Arts/Entmt.
10.3%
Retail
9.8%
Manufacturing
7.8%
Construction
7.2%
Agriculture
4.6%
Finance
4.1%
Transportation
4.0%
Public Admin
3.9%
Information
2.3%
Wholesale
2.2%
Occupation
Management
47.7%
Sales
17.3%
Food Prep
16.3%
Construction
10.2%
Production
8.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
26.6 min
Drove Alone
63.4%
Carpool
8.5%
Public Transit
1.9%
Work from Home
17.6%
Walked
4.3%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
96,873
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
47.9%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
17.2%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.5%
5–9
5.2%
10–14
5.5%
15–19
8.2%
20–24
9.1%
25–34
12.0%
35–44
12.0%
45–54
12.2%
55–64
6.4%
65–74
6.6%
75–84
11.6%
85+
4.8%
Under 18: 18.8%
Working age (18–64): 81.2%
65 and over: 18.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
17.7%
Naturalized Citizen
46.5%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
11.8%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
64.1%
Asia
17.3%
Europe
13.9%
Africa
1.0%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
4.0%
With a Disability
11.2%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
94.7%
Uninsured
5.3%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
93.5%
Has a Computer
96.7%
Same House 1 Year Ago
86.0%
Moved from Abroad
0.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Santa Cruz County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Santa Cruz County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County | 1,029 | 1,641 |
| Monterey County | 545 | 966 |
| Other flows - West | 428 | 610 |
| Other flows - South | 324 | 490 |
| Los Angeles County | 285 | 362 |
| Alameda County | 236 | 337 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 201 | 241 |
| San Francisco County | 195 | 256 |
| San Mateo County | 174 | 270 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 162 | 218 |