COUNTY
Santa Cruz County
California · 258,852 residents (2025 est.) · 445.106 sq mi
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The short version
Santa Cruz County is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $111,093. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $1,027,500. It ranks in the top 1% of US counties for household income.
At a glance
Wealthier
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
Section 01
Population & growth
PEP 2025 EST:258,852 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024265K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.4%(11,642)
5 to 94.9%(13,043)
10 to 145.5%(14,580)
15 to 198.4%(22,188)
20 to 249.3%(24,570)
25 to 3411.9%(31,455)
35 to 4412%(31,735)
45 to 5412%(31,755)
55 to 6412.7%(33,683)
65 to 7411.7%(31,084)
75 to 845.1%(13,560)
85 and over2.1%(5,631)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$111,093
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,998 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
65.9%
+22.0 ptssince 2009
from 43.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.9%
Retail trade8%
Wholesale trade6.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing4.3%
Construction4.3%
Finance & insurance4%
Other services4%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
Public administration2.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
Education & health services0.8%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$1,027,500
+60%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $353,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
9.2
−12%since 2009
from 10.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
61
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Santa Cruz County on RentDataNow
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)
72
+12%since 2009
from 65 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
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)
Venezuelan0%(34)
Bolivian0%(26)
Uruguayan0%(7)
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)
Bangladeshi0%(61)
Nepalese0%(61)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.2%(406)
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)
French Canadian0.3%(789)
Hungarian0.3%(718)
Canadian0.2%(636)
Subsaharan African0.2%(524)
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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(24)
Barbadian0%(22)
Guyanese0%(16)
Cape Verdean0%(12)
Jordanian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
88.6%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 83.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Section 08
People & community
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
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Compare Santa Cruz County to nearby counties
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
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Income$164,281+48%
Home value$1,490,600+45%
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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
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Income$158,855+43%
Home value$1,559,600+52%
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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
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Income$129,367+16%
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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY VS
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Income$114,394+3%
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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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Explore from here
70 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 1004Census Tract 1002Census Tract 1225Census Tract 1212Census Tract 1208Census Tract 1205Census Tract 1220.01Census Tract 1005Census Tract 1011Census Tract 1104.02Census Tract 1105.05Census Tract 1209.02Census Tract 1106.01Census Tract 1206Census Tract 1203.01Census Tract 1217.01Census Tract 1220.05Census Tract 1010.02Census Tract 1101.02Census Tract 1224.0217 ZIP codes
ZIP 95076ZIP 95060ZIP 95062ZIP 95003ZIP 95066ZIP 95073ZIP 95064ZIP 95033ZIP 95010ZIP 95065ZIP 95006ZIP 95005ZIP 95018ZIP 95019ZIP 95041ZIP 95017ZIP 95007Up the hierarchy
All counties in CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024