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

61,800

Population (Census, 2022)

12.74

Square Miles

$105,491

Median Household Income (Census, 2022)

3-4 million

Visitors per Year

262

Days of Sun per Year

Weather

...

Current Weather

mid-70s

Average Summer Temperatures

mid-50s

Average Winter Temperatures

Demographics

  • White : 67.7
  • Hispanic or Latino : 21.2
  • American Indian and Alaska Native : 1
  • Asian : 10.1
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander : 0.1
  • Black or African American : 2.2
  • Two or More Races : 11.4

Location

3

Airports Nearby

22.2 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

12-14%

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 2018

Download PDF

Quarterly Sales Tax Report 2023 Q2

Download PDF

Housing

21,594

Households (Census, 2018-2022)

2.37

Persons per Household (Census, 2022)

47

Owner-occupied Housing Units Rate (Census, 2018-2022)

53

Renter-occupied Housing Units Rate (Census, 2018-2022)

Education

57.1

Santa Cruz

35.9

California

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

age 25+, 2018-2022

95.4

Santa Cruz

84.4

California

High School Graduate or Higher

age 25+, 2018-2022

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

    Fall 2023 19,764 students

    Undergraduate 17,812 students

    Graduate 1,952 students

  • California State University Monterey Bay

    Fall 2023 6,742 students

    Undergraduate 5,860 students

    Graduate 882 students

  • Cabrillo College

    2022-2023 9,706 students

UCSC Impact & Accolades

$1.29 billion

Total Economic Impact in the Regional Economy (2017)

$879 million

Total Expenditures in the Region (2017)

$178 million

Student Spending (2011-2012)

$242 million

Faculty & Staff Spending (2011-2012)

$24 million

Visitor Spending (2011-2012)

#2

Public University in the Nation for “Making an Impact”, Princeton Review, 2023

#5

Best Game/Simulation Development Programs in the Nation, U.S. News and World Report, 2024

Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (2023)

$38.1m

Total Economic Activity from nonprofit arts and culture industry

$30.0m

Nonprofit arts impact

$8.1m

Event-related spending by audiences

$40.5m

Household Income to local residents generated

14.2m

Local and state government revenue

981

Full-time Employment Generated