CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Santa Cruz

California · 49,040 residents · 12.7 sq mi

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The short version

Santa Cruz is home to 49,040 people in California. The typical home is worth $259,800. Owners hold 47% of the housing stock. This is an unusually credentialed place: 35% of adults have a four-year degree. Median rent is $707 a month. The population has fallen 10% since 2000.

At a glance

Wealthier

above the US median

US median: $30,130

Younger

median age 30.8

US median: 33.0

More educated

35% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 14%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

49,040

−10%vs 2000

vs 54,593 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

30.8

−3%vs 2000

vs 31.7 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

12.7 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202462K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 55.4%(2,627)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 95.2%(2,543)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 144.7%(2,324)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 199.2%(4,494)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 2414.8%(7,238)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3418.7%(9,149)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4418.3%(8,976)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 548.3%(4,057)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 645.3%(2,585)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 745.4%(2,636)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 843.8%(1,871)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.1%(540)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$31,857

−17%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $50,605 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$15,538

−40%vs 2000

vs $25,758 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

15.7%

−0.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.5% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$259,800

−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $397,100 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$707

−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $941 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

47.4%

+0.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 46.6% in 2000

52.6% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic72%(39,304)

Black1.6%(871)

Hispanic / Latino17.4%(9,491)

Asian4.8%(2,607)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic85.9%(42,110)

Black2.2%(1,076)

Hispanic / Latino13.2%(6,467)

Asian4.5%(2,192)

Other7.5%(3,662)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican16.7%(10,311)

Central American1.4%(851)

South American1.2%(754)

Puerto Rican0.8%(472)

Salvadoran0.7%(427)

Colombian0.5%(311)

Peruvian0.4%(274)

Spaniard0.4%(263)

Guatemalan0.3%(211)

Chilean0.2%(128)

Panamanian0.2%(101)

Nicaraguan0.1%(66)

+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data

Dominican0.1%(37)

Costa Rican0.1%(33)

Bolivian0%(26)

Cuban0%(19)

Honduran0%(13)

Venezuelan0%(11)

Ecuadorian0%(4)

Asian origin

Chinese3%(1,836)

Asian Indian2.1%(1,312)

Filipino1.2%(764)

Japanese0.7%(448)

Korean0.6%(369)

Vietnamese0.4%(244)

Taiwanese0.3%(166)

Pakistani0.2%(143)

Bangladeshi0.1%(61)

Thai0.1%(42)

Nepalese0.1%(39)

Laotian0%(28)

+ 3 more asian origin groups with data

Indonesian0%(26)

Sri Lankan0%(14)

Cambodian0%(10)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0.1%(92)

Native Hawaiian0.1%(70)

Chamorro0%(17)

Fijian0%(9)

Ancestry

Irish12%(7,415)

English11.5%(7,086)

German10.7%(6,611)

Italian7.5%(4,611)

Polish3.4%(2,106)

French2.6%(1,611)

Norwegian2%(1,239)

Swedish2%(1,228)

Scottish2%(1,202)

American1.9%(1,183)

Russian1.6%(994)

Dutch1.4%(871)

+ 44 more ancestry groups with data

Arab1.3%(782)

Portuguese0.9%(537)

Welsh0.9%(526)

Danish0.8%(516)

British0.8%(512)

Scotch-Irish0.7%(429)

Austrian0.5%(335)

Subsaharan African0.5%(330)

Iranian0.5%(313)

Swiss0.5%(300)

Greek0.5%(298)

Hungarian0.4%(266)

Ukrainian0.4%(262)

Turkish0.4%(256)

Croatian0.4%(249)

Czech0.4%(238)

Brazilian0.4%(236)

Syrian0.4%(224)

French Canadian0.3%(195)

Belgian0.2%(142)

West Indian0.2%(142)

Canadian0.2%(134)

Armenian0.2%(128)

Finnish0.2%(126)

Israeli0.2%(118)

Lebanese0.2%(116)

Slovene0.2%(112)

Romanian0.2%(106)

Moroccan0.2%(94)

Palestinian0.1%(85)

Jamaican0.1%(80)

Lithuanian0.1%(73)

Slovak0.1%(69)

Nigerian0.1%(67)

Ethiopian0.1%(66)

Serbian0.1%(60)

Latvian0.1%(45)

Bulgarian0.1%(39)

Macedonian0.1%(37)

Egyptian0%(28)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(24)

Guyanese0%(16)

Haitian0%(12)

Australian0%(11)

RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Italian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

35.2%

−9.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 44.4% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

85.7%

−3.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 89.1% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

13.4%

−4.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 17.5% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

22.5 min

+26%vs 2000

vs 17.8 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married57.6%(15,812)

Married34.2%(9,368)

Widowed1.4%(396)

Divorced6.8%(1,854)

Women 15+

Never married54.8%(15,744)

Married29.9%(8,597)

Widowed4.9%(1,414)

Divorced10.4%(2,991)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

3.8%

−8.8 ptssince 2013

from 12.6% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

60.7%

+0.5 ptssince 2020

from 60.2% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

21.7%

−3.8 ptssince 2020

from 25.5% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

15.5%

+1.4 ptssince 2020

from 14.1% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

16.3%

+3.0 ptssince 2020

from 13.3% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

0.9%

−0.3 ptssince 2020

from 1.2% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

78.6%

−2.3 ptssince 2020

from 80.9% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

29.3%

+4.3 ptssince 2020

from 25.0% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

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.

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