Cost of Living and Housing in Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz has about 61,607 residents. Median gross rent is $2,452 per month and median household income is $115,475.

Comparison scope: “dataset median” below means the median among 1,211 cities across 10 states in this dataset. It is not presented as a nationwide Census median. The figures use 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates and may lag current listings.

Median Gross Rent $2,452/mo 48% above the dataset median

Median Home Value $1,209,000 223% above the dataset median

Median Household Income $115,475 38% above the dataset median

Owner-Occupied Homes 48% Share of occupied housing units

Rent-to-Income Baseline 25% Annual median rent ÷ household income

Home Value-to-Income 10.5x Median value ÷ household income

How Santa Cruz compares

Rent is 48% above the dataset median, while household income is 38% above the dataset median. Within California, Santa Cruz ranks #258 from lowest to highest rent and #110 from highest to lowest household income among 347 cities in this dataset.

The rent-to-income figure compares two citywide medians. It is useful for broad comparison, but it is not an individual household budget or a measure of renter cost burden.

Similar-size cities in California

Frequently asked questions

What is the median rent in Santa Cruz?

Median gross rent is $2,452 per month in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the median home value in Santa Cruz?

The median value of owner-occupied homes is $1,209,000 in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the median household income?

Median household income in Santa Cruz is $115,475 per year.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Local database refreshed 2026-07-11.