Economy, jobs and prices in Santa Cruz, California: official figures
The median household income in Santa Cruz was $115,475 a year in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey (in 2024 dollars), 126th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more; the US median was $80,734 and the California median $99,122.
What is the per capita income in Santa Cruz?
Income per resident (per capita income) in Santa Cruz averaged $55,676 a year in 2020-2024, 156th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: $44,673; California: $49,513).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow unequal are incomes in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz's Gini index of household income inequality was 0.494 in 2020-2024 (0 means equal incomes, 1 maximum inequality), 126th most unequal of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more; the US figure was 0.483.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Santa Cruz, California?
7.2% of the civilian labor force in Santa Cruz was unemployed on average over 2020-2024 (2,494 people), 140th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more; the US rate in the same survey was 5.2% and California's 6.6%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Santa Cruz have jobs?
31,972 residents of Santa Cruz held civilian jobs, 57.4% of those aged 16 and over (US: 59.7%), and 28 served in the armed forces.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat are the main industries in Santa Cruz?
The largest industry group for working residents of Santa Cruz was education, health care and social assistance (32.7% of employed residents), followed by professional, scientific, management and administrative services (13.3%) and arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (12.6%), 2020-2024.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Santa Cruz work in manufacturing?
Manufacturing employed 7.2% of working residents of Santa Cruz, 276th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 9.9%); professional, scientific and management services employed 13.3% (US: 12.6%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow long is the commute in Santa Cruz, California?
Commuters in Santa Cruz took 22.8 minutes on average to get to work in 2020-2024, 297th shortest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 26.4 minutes); 7.3% travelled an hour or more and 40.9% less than 15 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow do people in Santa Cruz get to work?
22.2% of workers living in Santa Cruz worked from home in 2020-2024, 156th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 15.1%). 51.3% drove to work alone, 6.2% carpooled, 4.7% used public transport and 9.0% walked.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the average rent in Santa Cruz, California?
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) in Santa Cruz was $2,452 a month in 2020-2024, 53rd highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: $1,413; California: $2,036).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow much does a house cost in Santa Cruz?
Owner-occupied homes in Santa Cruz had a median value of $1,209,000 in 2020-2024 as estimated by their owners, 29th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: $332,700; California: $734,700).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow affordable are homes in Santa Cruz?
The median home value in Santa Cruz was 10.5 times the median household income, 17th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 4.1 times).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in Santa Cruz have no internet?
1.9% of households in Santa Cruz (405) had no internet access at home in 2020-2024, 68th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.5%); 11.0% relied on a cellular data plan alone (US: 11.5%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow Santa Cruz compares with other cities in the United States
Median household income (2024 dollars) (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 126 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median household income (2024 dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| 123 | Novato | $115,736 |
| 124 | Wellington | $115,632 |
| 125 | Rockwall | $115,580 |
| 126 | Santa Cruz | $115,475 |
| 127 | Petaluma | $115,430 |
| 128 | Fountain Valley | $115,237 |
| 129 | Downers Grove | $115,114 |
Per capita income (2024 dollars) (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 156 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Per capita income (2024 dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| 153 | Napa | $56,032 |
| 154 | Allen | $55,986 |
| 155 | Brentwood | $55,793 |
| 156 | Santa Cruz | $55,676 |
| 157 | McKinney | $55,643 |
| 158 | Ann Arbor | $55,459 |
| 159 | Roseville | $55,336 |
Gini index of household income inequality (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 126 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Gini index of household income inequality |
|---|---|---|
| 123 | Dothan | 0.494 |
| 124 | Norwalk | 0.494 |
| 125 | Brookhaven | 0.494 |
| 126 | Santa Cruz | 0.494 |
| 127 | Kirkland | 0.493 |
| 128 | Deerfield Beach | 0.493 |
| 129 | Mount Vernon | 0.493 |
Unemployment rate (share of civilian labor force) (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 140 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate (share of civilian labor force) |
|---|---|---|
| 137 | Olympia | 7.3% |
| 138 | Rancho Cordova | 7.3% |
| 139 | South Fulton | 7.2% |
| 140 | Santa Cruz | 7.2% |
| 141 | Savannah | 7.2% |
| 142 | Westminster | 7.2% |
| 143 | Modesto | 7.2% |
Labor force participation rate (16 and over) (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 639 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labor force participation rate (16 and over) |
|---|---|---|
| 636 | Corvallis | 62.0% |
| 637 | Fall River | 62.0% |
| 638 | Turlock | 62.0% |
| 639 | Santa Cruz | 62.0% |
| 640 | Yorba Linda | 61.9% |
| 641 | Corpus Christi | 61.9% |
| 642 | Pharr | 61.9% |
Mean travel time to work (minutes) (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 527 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Mean travel time to work (minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| 524 | Mobile | 22.8 |
| 525 | Midwest City | 22.8 |
| 526 | Melbourne | 22.8 |
| 527 | Santa Cruz | 22.8 |
| 528 | Flint | 22.7 |
| 529 | Clearwater | 22.7 |
| 530 | St. Peters | 22.7 |
Workers who worked from home (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 156 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Workers who worked from home |
|---|---|---|
| 153 | Longmont | 22.3% |
| 154 | Maricopa | 22.2% |
| 155 | Costa Mesa | 22.2% |
| 156 | Santa Cruz | 22.2% |
| 157 | Eagle Mountain | 22.1% |
| 158 | White Plains | 22.1% |
| 159 | Hillsboro | 22.0% |
Workers commuting by public transportation (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 107 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Workers commuting by public transportation |
|---|---|---|
| 104 | Gainesville | 4.9% |
| 105 | Salt Lake City | 4.8% |
| 106 | Antioch | 4.8% |
| 107 | Santa Cruz | 4.7% |
| 108 | Brockton | 4.7% |
| 109 | New Brunswick | 4.6% |
| 110 | New Orleans | 4.5% |
Employed residents working in manufacturing (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 548 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Employed residents working in manufacturing |
|---|---|---|
| 545 | Kennewick | 7.2% |
| 546 | Brockton | 7.2% |
| 547 | Santa Maria | 7.2% |
| 548 | Santa Cruz | 7.2% |
| 549 | Durham | 7.2% |
| 550 | Wichita Falls | 7.2% |
| 551 | Celina | 7.2% |
Employed residents in education, health care and social assistance (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 35 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Employed residents in education, health care and social assistance |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Springfield | 33.0% |
| 33 | Redlands | 32.9% |
| 34 | Clovis | 32.9% |
| 35 | Santa Cruz | 32.7% |
| 36 | Edinburg | 32.7% |
| 37 | Philadelphia | 32.4% |
| 38 | Brockton | 32.4% |
Median gross rent per month (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 53 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median gross rent per month |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | San Francisco | $2,476 |
| 51 | Alameda | $2,474 |
| 52 | San Clemente | $2,460 |
| 53 | Santa Cruz | $2,452 |
| 54 | Tustin | $2,449 |
| 55 | Costa Mesa | $2,446 |
| 56 | Petaluma | $2,440 |
Median value of owner-occupied homes (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 29 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owner-occupied homes |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Milpitas | $1,251,700 |
| 27 | Alameda | $1,235,700 |
| 28 | San Jose | $1,233,200 |
| 29 | Santa Cruz | $1,209,000 |
| 30 | Irvine | $1,191,500 |
| 31 | Laguna Niguel | $1,190,900 |
| 32 | South San Francisco | $1,188,800 |
Median home value as a multiple of median household income (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 16 of 820, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median home value as a multiple of median household income |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Inglewood | 10.9x |
| 14 | San Mateo | 10.5x |
| 15 | Monterey Park | 10.5x |
| 16 | Santa Cruz | 10.5x |
| 17 | Pasadena | 10.4x |
| 18 | Encinitas | 10.2x |
| 19 | Mountain View | 10.1x |
Occupied homes lived in by their owners (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 647 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Occupied homes lived in by their owners |
|---|---|---|
| 644 | Lancaster | 48.6% |
| 645 | Redwood City | 48.6% |
| 646 | St. Cloud | 48.6% |
| 647 | Santa Cruz | 48.4% |
| 648 | Dayton | 48.4% |
| 649 | Homestead | 48.3% |
| 650 | Newport News | 48.2% |
Households with a broadband subscription (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 154 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with a broadband subscription |
|---|---|---|
| 151 | Ocoee | 95.5% |
| 152 | Minnetonka | 95.5% |
| 153 | Euless | 95.5% |
| 154 | Santa Cruz | 95.5% |
| 155 | Cedar Park | 95.5% |
| 156 | Roseville | 95.5% |
| 157 | Oceanside | 95.4% |
Households with no internet access (2020-2024)
Santa Cruz ranks 756 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Households with no internet access |
|---|---|---|
| 753 | Apex | 1.9% |
| 754 | Livermore | 1.9% |
| 755 | Mooresville | 1.9% |
| 756 | Santa Cruz | 1.9% |
| 757 | Marana | 1.8% |
| 758 | Boulder | 1.8% |
| 759 | Bothell | 1.8% |
More on Santa Cruz: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B08013: Aggregate Travel Time to Work (in Minutes) of Workers by Sex (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 6939fdfa046fd5bb829ec8da9549e66298cc740f6a3f5dd60e1920a08e3083fb), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f94e7878b6a…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B23025: Employment Status for the Population 16 Years and Over (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 264a5bd9367c5f58d9773fa4966fa94fe1e02f9c7106bc2ab39168d6de7c3e4a), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2630e6946370…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B19083: Gini Index of Income Inequality (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 338f7a1191eaaf3913913e78c36aaa9d82f2b5c8faaf889be2e597b28869205e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b8cf854b1f94…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C24030: Sex by Industry for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 66a2799a71a5fc36f0e3bc22767fe5bdd8f96eb29e85b91311e990d35cc14114), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5d717c57e7e4…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B19013: Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 b25a176b0e6c339b6f3a2a0d3d8446bf06f5f080b4395993ec9a8313efb1c229), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1d8a264807c6…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B08301: Means of Transportation to Work (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 552b24c135b6e7c566910914a861cda6fc798ba0cd47801b1eb64295a128c2ee), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 eaf823006d53…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B19301: Per Capita Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 9fc107e98fee7fa49bb8314560205569184fad65fb64b80adb5c5bdd83ccc409), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 24c1e725b26a…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25064: Median Gross Rent (Dollars) (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 b36e6dc1fcef36b8b307d31b37517b64c80d8b9c70d48c9b1894242860f42eb0), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b842a7ff825c…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25077: Median Value (Dollars) (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 89eb2153764a2330b23959d8bbc29b3a8f3016f087b990f2a8ea0d5096d9a816), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 22b59a3b1acb…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B28002: Presence and Types of Internet Subscriptions in Household (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 12446ff0691b8818f5908cdc398817361772c5b3078c506d0409adc9c841840b), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4b375b368bf9…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25003: Tenure (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 68e963e1ed60fcf6b0658579cefc6498b7a9eb780b9f3e87fd1b9775c4d4ac6c), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2983c28f47fa…)
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