Data:
Santa Cruz By The Numbers
A Collection of Facts
Deciding where to live, work, and play requires a lot of research and that you need reliable data in order to make informed decisions. The raw numbers are an important part of the Santa Cruz story, so we’ve pulled together a comprehensive list of facts and figures to help you wrap your head around the finer details of our community and economy.
Scroll through this page to find quality of life factors like the good weather, abundance of parks, median income, tax rates, and sales tax reports. You’ll also get an idea about the impact of the University of California, Santa Cruz on our city and the overall talent pipeline of students in the broader region. While this page will help you understand the overall makeup of Santa Cruz, you can get more detailed information by downloading the Datasheet PDF in the upper right hand corner.
Quick Facts
62,956
Population (Census, 2020)
12.74
Square Miles
$86,618
Median Household Income (Census, 2020)
3-4 million
Visitors per Year
262
Days of Sun per Year
Weather
262 Days of Sun per Year
...
Current Weather
1
Average days above 90°F
0
Average days below 30°F
Demographics
- White : 62.1
- Hispanic or Latino : 20.7
- American Indian and Alaska Native : 0.7
- Asian : 10.3
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander : 0.1
- Black or African American : 2.1
- Two or More Races : 7.7
Location
3
Airports Nearby
21.9 min
Average Commute Time
28
Parks in the City
14
State Parks in the Region
29
Miles of Regional Beaches
30 Best Small Cities List
National Geographic, 2018
#3 Healthiest & Happiest City
Time Magazine, 2017
5
Museums
Economic Indicators
5.2
Unemployment Rate (Census, 2021)
9.25%
Sales Tax
11%
Transient Occupancy Tax
+0.1%
Consumer Price Index for Santa Cruz-Watsonville (June 2018, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
1,550
Patents in Santa Cruz, July 2018 (US Patent Collection Database)
Gibbs Retail Report 2011
Download PDFQuarterly Sales Tax Report 2021 Q3
Download PDFHousing
22,644
Households (Census, 2020)
2.41
Persons per Household (Census, 2020)
46.3
Owner-occupied Housing Units Rate (Census, 2016-2020)
53.7
Renter-occupied Housing Units Rate (Census, 2016-2020)
Education
54.3
Santa Cruz
34.7
California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
age 25+, 2016-2020
95.3
Santa Cruz
83.9
California
High School Graduate or Higher
age 25+, 2016-2020
4
Elementary Schools
2
Middle Schools
2
High Schools
13
Private Schools
6
Alternative & Charter Schools
Pacific Collegiate School
A California charter school serving grades 7-12. PCS has been ranked by US News and World Report as California’s #1 public charter school and #6 in the nation in 2017.
Georgina Bruce Kirby Preparatory School
An independent co-educational and non-sectarian college-preparatory day school established in 1994 serving 250 students enrolled in grades 6-12.
Santa Cruz City Schools
Santa Cruz City Schools serves over 7,000 students in preschool through high school. The district serves families living in the City of Santa Cruz as well as county neighborhoods.
Higher Education Enrollment
-
University of California, Santa Cruz
2020-2021 19,161 students
Undergraduate 17,207 students
Graduate 1,954 students
-
California State University Monterey Bay
2020-2021 7,020 students
Undergraduate 6,119 students
Graduate 901 students
-
Cabrillo College
2018-2019 11,796 students