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

...

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 PDF

Quarterly Sales Tax Report 2021 Q3

Download PDF

Housing

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

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

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

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

UCSC Impact & Accolades

$1.3 billion

Total Economic Impact in the Regional Economy

$632 million

Total Expenditures in the Region

$178 million

Student Spending

$242 million

Faculty & Staff Spending

$24 million

Visitor Spending

#3

In the World for Research Influence, World University Rankings, 2017

Top 25

Schools for Game Design, Princeton Review, 2018

Arts & Economic Vitality (2013)

$38.38m

Total Economic Activity from nonprofit arts and culture industry

$21.84m

Nonprofit arts impact

$16.54m

Event-related spending by audiences

$22.36m

Household Income to local residents generated

$5.26m

Local and state government revenue

877

Full-time Employment Generated