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COUNTY

Santa Cruz County

California · 258,852 residents (2025 est.) · 445 sq mi
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Part of the Santa Cruz metro area
The short version

Santa Cruz County is a county of 264,926 people in California. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $1,027,500. Few US counties rank higher on income. Renters pay $2,264 a month at the median. 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Households take in $111,093 a year at the median, 35% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $111,093, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 60%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Santa Cruz County

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share19.9% → 35.2% (+15.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts

Among the 58 counties in California

  • 11th in household income$111,093
  • 9th in share with a bachelor's degree43.9%
  • 6th in home value$1,027,500
  • 24th in diversity score72.5
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
264,926
+4%since 2000
from 255,602 in 2000
258,852 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
595 / sq mi
+4%since 2000
from 574 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.8
+14%since 2000
from 35.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
445 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
225K239K252K265K278K19902000201020202024Santa Cruz County
2024265K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.4%(11,642)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.9%(13,043)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(14,580)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.4%(22,188)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.3%(24,570)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.9%(31,455)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412%(31,735)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(31,755)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.7%(33,683)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.7%(31,084)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(13,560)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(5,631)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$111,093
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,998 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$56,941
+116%since 2000
from $26,396 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
65.9%
+22.0 ptssince 2009
from 43.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.483
+3%since 2010
from 0.467 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing4.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction4.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Finance & insurance4%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Public administration2.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,027,500
+60%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $353,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,264
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $924 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
59.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 60.0% in 2000
40.1% rent
Vacancy rate
9.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.58 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.61 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
30.6%
−13.8 ptssince 2009
from 44.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.7%
−7.2 ptssince 2009
from 56.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
9.2
−12%since 2009
from 10.5 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
61
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic65.5%(167,464)
Black0.8%(2,160)
Hispanic / Latino26.8%(68,486)
Asian3.3%(8,464)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic53.9%(142,831)
Black0.7%(1,912)
Hispanic / Latino35.2%(93,346)
Asian4.7%(12,345)
Other5.5%(14,492)
Diversity Score
72
+12%since 2009
from 65 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
44
−6%since 2020
from 47 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican30.4%(80,460)
Central American1.4%(3,722)
Salvadoran0.9%(2,353)
South American0.7%(1,812)
Spaniard0.7%(1,739)
Puerto Rican0.5%(1,310)
Peruvian0.2%(620)
Colombian0.2%(599)
Guatemalan0.2%(508)
Cuban0.2%(493)
Panamanian0.1%(280)
Argentine0.1%(240)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(229)
Costa Rican0.1%(182)
Dominican0.1%(166)
Chilean0.1%(166)
Ecuadorian0%(120)
Honduran0%(112)
Bolivian0%(26)
Asian origin
Chinese1.3%(3,509)
Filipino0.8%(2,226)
Asian Indian0.8%(2,207)
Japanese0.5%(1,348)
Korean0.3%(892)
Vietnamese0.2%(654)
Taiwanese0.1%(211)
Pakistani0.1%(150)
Thai0%(130)
Cambodian0%(109)
Nepalese0%(61)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(49)
Laotian0%(36)
Malaysian0%(27)
Burmese0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(251)
Chamorro0.1%(167)
Tongan0%(81)
Guamanian0%(23)
Fijian0%(19)
Ancestry
English11.8%(31,232)
German11.3%(29,839)
Irish10.5%(27,862)
Italian6.1%(16,101)
Scottish2.3%(6,209)
French2.2%(5,791)
American1.9%(4,920)
Polish1.8%(4,774)
Swedish1.6%(4,235)
Norwegian1.5%(3,982)
Portuguese1.4%(3,773)
Dutch1.4%(3,770)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.3%(3,388)
Scotch-Irish1%(2,594)
Arab0.9%(2,418)
Danish0.9%(2,330)
Welsh0.8%(1,992)
British0.7%(1,932)
Czech0.5%(1,290)
Swiss0.5%(1,193)
Greek0.4%(1,135)
Croatian0.4%(948)
Austrian0.3%(902)
Lithuanian0.3%(902)
Iranian0.3%(864)
Lebanese0.3%(862)
Ukrainian0.3%(796)
Hungarian0.3%(718)
Canadian0.2%(636)
Finnish0.2%(505)
Syrian0.2%(497)
Armenian0.2%(493)
Romanian0.2%(489)
Turkish0.2%(465)
Brazilian0.2%(434)
West Indian0.1%(366)
Slovak0.1%(335)
Belgian0.1%(306)
Israeli0.1%(293)
Palestinian0.1%(285)
Serbian0.1%(285)
Australian0.1%(206)
Slovene0.1%(161)
Jamaican0.1%(154)
Macedonian0.1%(139)
Moroccan0%(130)
Latvian0%(117)
Bulgarian0%(93)
Iraqi0%(91)
Ethiopian0%(87)
Nigerian0%(73)
Egyptian0%(50)
Haitian0%(35)
Kenyan0%(34)
Barbadian0%(22)
Guyanese0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
43.9%
+9.8 ptssince 2000
from 34.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
88.6%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 83.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
18.6%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 12.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.7 min
+19%since 2000
from 21.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
62.2%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 71.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.1%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.9%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
19.3%
+12.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
2.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.1%
−2.3 ptssince 2011
from 8.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.8%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 66.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 74.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
16.3%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
48.4%
+8.1 ptssince 2009
from 40.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Female
50.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Foreign born
18.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 17.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.5%
+2.7 ptssince 2012
from 8.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.9%
−10.0 ptssince 2013
from 14.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.2%
+9.2 ptssince 2017
from 85.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.1%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 94.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 85.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
66.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2016
from 68.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
26.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 25.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42.4%(47,492)
Married47.4%(53,104)
Widowed2%(2,194)
Divorced8.2%(9,127)
Women 15+
Never married37.2%(42,308)
Married44%(50,036)
Widowed6.5%(7,355)
Divorced12.3%(14,045)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.9%
−10.0 ptssince 2013
from 14.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 55.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.9%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.3%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 17.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 20.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.9%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 71.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.3%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 35.4% 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)15%(1,209)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.1%(1,050)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era47%(3,777)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.8%(630)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(108)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,035 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 County, decade by decade

Santa Cruz County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990229,734$89,071$612,97829.7%49.8
2000255,602$98,366$643,59134.2%62.1
2010262,382$93,871$933,20137.3%67.4
2020270,861$109,067$953,87541.8%73.3
2024264,926$111,093$1,027,50043.9%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.

Drill deeper

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Pop 266,446
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Pop 286,895
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Head to head

Compare Santa Cruz County to nearby counties

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
Santa Clara County
Income$164,281+48%
Home value$1,490,600+45%
Population1,914,391+640%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
San Mateo County
Income$158,855+43%
Home value$1,559,600+52%
Population743,568+187%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
Alameda County
Income$129,367+16%
Home value$1,090,100+6%
Population1,636,630+532%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
San Benito County
Income$114,394+3%
Home value$793,400−23%
Population70,082−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Santa Cruz County, California?

Santa Cruz County, California has about 264,926 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County, California?

The typical household in Santa Cruz County, California earns about $111,093 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Santa Cruz County, California expensive?

In Santa Cruz County, California, the median home is worth about $1,027,500, and the typical rent is about $2,264 a month.

How educated are people in Santa Cruz County, California?

About 43.9% of adults age 25 and over in Santa Cruz County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Santa Cruz County, California?

About 11.6% of people in Santa Cruz County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Santa Cruz County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Santa Cruz County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 35,192 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →