Santa Cruz County, California
Located in California, Santa Cruz County has a population of 264,926 residents and a median age of 39.8 years, making it the #273 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.6%. The median home value is $1.0M, and the median household income is $111,093, which is 48% above the national median.
Demographics
Santa Cruz County has a population of 264,926, making it the #273 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Santa Cruz County is $111,093, ranking #91 out of 3,222 counties — 47.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.6% and unemployment stands at 6.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Santa Cruz County is $1.0M (+264.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,264/mo and the homeownership rate is 59.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Santa Cruz County, 43.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 30.4% above the national average, ranking #187 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Santa Cruz County is 81.8 years. 16.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
11.5% of adults in Santa Cruz County smoke , 29.4% are obese , and 24.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Santa Cruz County is 3.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.0% of children in Santa Cruz County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Santa Cruz County is 74.5%. The mean commute time is 28.6 min, which is 3.5% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Santa Cruz County voted Democratic with a margin of 54.4%. The vote was 75.3% Dem / 20.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County, California has a total population of 264,926, making it the 273rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Santa Cruz County is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Santa Cruz County is $111,093, which ranks #91 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 47.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.1%.
The median home value in Santa Cruz County is $1.0M, 264.5% above the national median. Renters in Santa Cruz County pay a median gross rent of $2,264 per month. The homeownership rate is 59.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Santa Cruz County, 43.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.6 min.
Santa Cruz County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 53.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (35.2%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (4.7%).
All data for Santa Cruz County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.