Santa Cruz, CA housing market
The typical Santa Cruz home is worth about $1,349,000, up 5.7% in a year, 77% above the California typical home. Homes typically sell in 15 days, a little above asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Santa Cruz compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Santa Cruz at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.5 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Santa Cruz | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $854,000 | $453,000 |
| 2018 | $932,000 | $501,000 |
| 2019 | $960,000 | $539,000 |
| 2020 | $939,000 | $551,000 |
| 2021 | $1,034,000 | $607,000 |
| 2022 | $1,260,000 | $703,000 |
| 2023 | $1,268,000 | $727,000 |
| 2024 | $1,290,000 | $758,000 |
| 2025 | $1,295,000 | $782,000 |
| 2026 | $1,312,000 | $767,000 |
| August 2026 | $1,349,000 | $764,000 |
228 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 228 new homes in Santa Cruz in 2025: 48 single-family houses and 180 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $32.7 million to build. That's 3.7 per 1,000 residents, faster than across California (2.7). Over the past 10 years, Santa Cruz has permitted 1,365 homes in all.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 290 | 19 | 271 | $53.8 million |
| 2025 | 228 | 48 | 180 | $32.7 million |
| 2024 | 54 | 48 | 6 | $14.5 million |
| 2023 | 310 | 42 | 268 | $49.1 million |
| 2022 | 140 | 70 | 70 | $25.3 million |
| 2021 | 267 | 53 | 214 | $56.3 million |
| 2020 | 54 | 40 | 14 | $13.4 million |
| 2019 | 42 | 42 | 0 | $10.9 million |
| 2018 | 44 | 44 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| 2017 | 61 | 39 | 22 | $14.5 million |
| 2016 | 165 | 56 | 109 | $35.8 million |
| 2015 | 57 | 57 | 0 | $18.9 million |
| 2014 | 50 | 50 | 0 | $16.7 million |
| 2013 | 75 | 49 | 26 | $21.8 million |
| 2012 | 47 | 45 | 2 | $18.4 million |
| 2011 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $5.5 million |
| 2010 | 41 | 18 | 23 | $13 million |
| 2009 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $5.1 million |
| 2008 | 77 | 47 | 30 | $17.2 million |
| 2007 | 417 | 60 | 357 | $97.5 million |
| 2006 | 129 | 105 | 24 | $28.8 million |
| 2005 | 151 | 119 | 32 | $19.2 million |
| 2004 | 148 | 95 | 53 | $15.2 million |
| 2003 | 285 | 63 | 222 | $28.2 million |
| 2002 | 243 | 70 | 173 | $24.4 million |
| 2001 | 151 | 50 | 101 | $17.2 million |
| 2000 | 61 | 44 | 17 | $11.2 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Santa Cruz and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | $1.35M | +5.7% | $4,960 | 228 | $115,475 |
| Live Oak | — | +3.4%† | $4,850 | — | $103,674 |
| Paradise Park | — | −3.9%† | $5,230 | — | $54,500 |
| Pasatiempo | — | −3.9%† | $5,230 | — | $215,469 |
| Twin Lakes | — | +7.6%† | $4,940 | — | $90,087 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
11.7 years of income
The typical Santa Cruz home costs about 11.7 years of the town's median household income, more than across California (7.7 years).
How Santa Cruz ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $4,960
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Santa Cruz is $4,960 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Santa Cruz pay a median of $2,452, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 52% of the town's median household income, above the 30% guideline for affordable housing.
Studio $3,730 · 4 bedrooms $6,650
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (95060, 95062, 95064, 95065; Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Santa Cruz
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.