California Gazetteer
Also See Santa Cruz, CA: ZIP Codes & Maps
The City of Santa Cruz had a population of 62,069 as of July 1, 2024. Santa Cruz ranks in the upper quartile for Population Density when compared to the other cities, towns and Census Designated Places (CDPs) in California. See peer rankings below.
The primary coordinate point for Santa Cruz is located at latitude 36.9741 and longitude -122.0308 in Santa Cruz County. The formal boundaries for the City of Santa Cruz encompass a land area of 12.74 sq. miles and a water area of 3.09 sq. miles. Santa Cruz County is in the Pacific time zone (GMT -8).
The City of Santa Cruz has a C1 Census Class Code which indicates an active incorporated place that does not serve as a county subdivision equivalent. It also has a Functional Status Code of "A" which identifies an active government providing primary general-purpose functions.
California is one of 20 states where Census County Divisions (CCDs) are used for statistical tracking of subdivisions within each county. The City of Santa Cruz is located within Santa Cruz CCD of Santa Cruz County.
POPULATION | |
|---|---|
| Total Population | 62,069 (100%) |
| Population in Households | 51,385 (82.8%) |
| Population in Families | 31,164 (50.2%) |
| Population in Group Quarters1 | 10,684 (17.2%) |
| Population Density | 4,872 |
| Diversity Index2 | 74 |
INCOME | |
| Median Household Income | $104,646 |
| Average Household Income | $149,148 |
| % of Income for Mortgage4 | 78% |
| Per Capita Income | $53,130 |
| Wealth Index5 | 131 |
| Socioeconomic Status Index6 | Moderate (49.5) |
HOUSING | |
|---|---|
| Total HU (Housing Units) | 24,093 (100%) |
| Owner Occupied HU | 9,740 (40.4%) |
| Renter Occupied HU | 11,880 (49.3%) |
| Vacant Housing Units | 2,473 (10.3%) |
| Median Home Value | $1,296,036 |
| Average Home Value | $1,341,006 |
| Housing Affordability Index3 | 33 |
HOUSEHOLDS | |
| Total Households | 21,620 |
| Average Household Size | 2.38 |
| Family Households | 10,573 |
| Average Family Size | 3.00 |
GROWTH RATE / YEAR |
2020-2024 | 2024-2029 |
|---|---|---|
| Population | -0.33% | -0.06% |
| Households | -0.12% | 0.15% |
| Families | 0.12% | |
| Median Household Income | 2.53% | |
| Per Capita Income | 3.15% | |
| Owner Occupied HU | 0.29% |
The table below compares Santa Cruz to the other 1,618 incorporated cities, towns and CDPs in California by rank and percentile using July 1, 2024 data. The location Ranked # 1 has the highest value. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group.
| Variable Description | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | # 148 | 91st |
| Population Density | # 269 | 83rd |
| Median Household Income | # 514 | 68th |
| Housing Affordability Index | # 278 | 17th |
| Per Capita Income | # 494 | 70th |
| Diversity Index | # 675 | 58th |
Additional comparisons and rankings can be made with a VERY EASY TO USE California Census Data Comparison Tool.
Also See: Nearby Hotels | Driving Directions
