Santa Cruz is home to 61,607 people in California. The typical home is worth $1,209,000, having roughly tripled since 2000. This is an unusually credentialed place: 58% of adults have a four-year degree. This skews young, with a median age of 31.1. That puts it in the top 5% of US cities for household income. Owners hold 48% of the housing stock.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $115,475, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.1
US median: 38.9
More educated
58% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 67%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Santa Cruz
What changed most since 1990
Median household income (2024 dollars)$76,459 → $115,475(+51%)US over the same years: +14%
Adults with a bachelor's degree35.2% → 57.6%(+22.4 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$623,538 → $1,209,000(+94%)US over the same years: +67%
Santa Cruz's population equals 23% of Santa Cruz County's. Its number of households without a car equals 34% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 34% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.4%(240)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18%(235)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era45.1%(589)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.2%(81)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(12)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,307 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Santa Cruz, decade by decade
Santa Cruz population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
49,040
$76,459
$623,538
35.2%
44.0
2000
54,593
$92,185
$723,379
44.4%
55.9
2010
59,946
$88,051
$1,058,213
51.7%
63.7
2020
62,956
$104,984
$1,085,744
54.3%
74.8
2024
61,607
$115,475
$1,209,000
57.6%
72.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
