Santa Cruz County, California Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Santa Cruz County, California, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Santa Cruz County, California. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Santa Cruz County, California. The estimated population of Santa Cruz County, California is 272,138 people, with a median age of 38.5.

We can look at the total population in Santa Cruz County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
272,138
 -0.38% -0.41%
2020
273,170
 -0.29% -
2019
273,962
+0.07%
-
2018
273,765
+0.18%
-
2017
273,263
 - -

Population of Santa Cruz County, California by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
56.1%
57.8%
 -2.94%
Black/African American
0.8%
0.8%
 0.00%
Native
0.1%
0.2%
 -50.00%
Hispanic
34%
33.3%
 +2.10%
Asian
4.7%
4.4%
 +6.82%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3.6%
3.3%
 +9.09%
Other
0.4%
0.2%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Santa Cruz County, California by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 38.5 +0.79% 37.6 +0.8% 39.4 +0.25%
2020 38.2 +1.06% 37.3 +1.08% 39.3 +0.77%
2019 37.8 +1.07% 36.9 +1.1% 39 +0.78%
2018 37.4 +0.27% 36.5 +0.83% 38.7 +0.26%
2017 37.3 - 36.2 - 38.6 -

The median age of Santa Cruz County, California gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 15,240 -9.29% 14,320 -11.59% 13,870 12,724
10 to 19 19,126 +0.08% 19,093 +4.43% 19,137 19,948
20 to 29 22,946 -1.84% 21,821 -2.47% 22,524 21,285
30 to 39 16,771 -5.11% 15,667 -1.16% 15,924 15,481
40 to 49 16,209 +1.81% 16,795 -4.66% 16,503 16,026
50 to 59 18,255 -3.18% 19,788 -10.07% 17,674 17,864
60 to 69 16,402 +2.72% 16,862 +2.4% 16,837 17,264
70+ 10,705 +19.63% 13,263 +20.1% 12,962 16,115

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Santa Cruz County, California is $96,093.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Santa Cruz County.

  • Under 25
    $31,883.00
  • 25 to 44
    $103,331.00
  • 45 to 64
    $120,967.00
  • 65 and over
    $75,429.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Santa Cruz County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Santa Cruz County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Santa Cruz County, California is currently $133,176.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

19.77% of households in Santa Cruz County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Santa Cruz County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    12.75%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    13.19%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    13.21%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.41%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.96%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    11.70%
  • $200,000 or more
    19.77%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Santa Cruz County is $47,619.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Santa Cruz County by the total population of Santa Cruz County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Santa Cruz County, California, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Santa Cruz County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    20.59%
  • Bachelor's degree
    42.41%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    10.35%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    23.79%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.86%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Santa Cruz County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Santa Cruz County over the age of 16 is 226,386.

Of those people, a total of 64.40% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Santa Cruz County is 60.30%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 19,927 36.10% 17.00%
20 to 24 years 26,474 70.60% 10.50%
25 to 29 years 17,335 83.60% 6.10%
30 to 34 years 15,613 86.70% 6.60%
35 to 44 years 32,038 83.50% 4.60%
45 to 54 years 33,178 85.00% 5.90%
55 to 59 years 18,643 78.40% 4.30%
60 to 64 years 17,393 61.70% 3.50%
65 to 74 years 29,599 34.50% 3.80%
75 years and over 16,186 9.00% 6.70%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Santa Cruz County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 160,391 64.00% 5.80%
Black or African American 2,622 68.10% 3.80%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1,463 54.10% 8.00%
Asian 12,522 54.30% 5.80%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 564 81.90% 6.70%
Other 30,242 67.90% 9.30%
Two or more races 18,582 69.60% 7.20%
Hispanic or Latino 68,052 69.90% 7.70%
Not Hispanic or Latino 135,446 62.60% 5.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Santa Cruz County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Santa Cruz County is 136,507, with median earnings of $45,658.00.

Women in Santa Cruz County, California earning approximately 68.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 136,507 $45,658.00
Male 72,400 $53,948.00
Female 64,107 $37,171.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 17,690 $94,596.00
Business and Financial 7,568 $81,419.00
Computer and Mathematical 5,345 $102,602.00
Architecture and Engineering 3,460 $109,613.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 2,622 $73,750.00
Community and Social Service 2,810 $51,116.00
Legal 1,174 $100,288.00
Educational and Library 10,066 $49,891.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 4,634 $54,963.00
Healthcare Practitioners 6,947 $82,794.00
Healthcare Support 4,190 $30,186.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,535 $40,817.00
Law Enforcement 716 $89,545.00
Food Preparation and Serving 8,207 $14,157.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 4,089 $29,546.00
Personal Care and Service 3,216 $19,846.00
Sales 13,003 $34,915.00
Office and Administrative Support 13,043 $32,415.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 4,784 $21,079.00
Construction and Extraction 6,376 $46,087.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,819 $53,331.00
Production 4,853 $38,548.00
Transportation and Material Moving 3,277 $43,270.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 10,290 $108,939.00 7,400 $72,459.00
Business and Financial 3,601 $84,986.00 3,967 $72,838.00
Computer and Mathematical 4,254 $116,563.00 1,091 $83,897.00
Architecture and Engineering 3,035 $110,658.00 425 $88,558.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,210 $78,333.00 1,412 $63,977.00
Community and Social Service 1,006 $54,922.00 1,804 $45,952.00
Legal 506 $165,242.00 668 $75,313.00
Educational and Library 3,578 $61,875.00 6,488 $47,541.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 2,200 $59,375.00 2,434 $52,748.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,989 $88,705.00 4,958 $80,779.00
Healthcare Support 769 $28,750.00 3,421 $30,299.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 1,181 $42,639.00 354 $28,438.00
Law Enforcement 576 $93,636.00 140 $69,891.00
Food Preparation and Serving 3,667 $19,844.00 4,540 $11,930.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 2,385 $32,013.00 1,704 $23,914.00
Personal Care and Service 761 $11,213.00 2,455 $21,870.00
Sales 6,471 $50,532.00 6,532 $25,237.00
Office and Administrative Support 3,645 $34,544.00 9,398 $32,106.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 3,078 $21,946.00 1,706 $19,596.00
Construction and Extraction 6,222 $46,685.00 154 $21,111.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,738 $52,922.00 81 $83,125.00
Production 3,433 $41,734.00 1,420 $26,324.00
Transportation and Material Moving 2,928 $45,343.00 349 $21,834.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 96,476 households in Santa Cruz County, with an average household size of 2.69 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 61,187 families in Santa Cruz County with an average family size of 3.2 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 47,067 4,268 9,852 35,289
Average Household Size 3.3 3.81 3.55 1.49
Total Families 47,067 4,268 9,852 0
Average Household Size 3.21 3.16 3.17 0

Poverty

Of the 61,187 families in Santa Cruz County, 5.90% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Santa Cruz County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 106,110 housing units in Santa Cruz County, California.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 96,476 90.92%
Vacant 9,634 9.08%

34.40% of the total 106,110 housing units in Santa Cruz County are rental units. This is approximately 36,498 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 58,321 are occupied by the owner - or 54.96% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Santa Cruz County is $1,925.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Santa Cruz County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    1,657
  • Less than $500
    2,070
  • $500 to $999
    3,160
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    5,498
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    8,848
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    7,541
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    4,116
  • $3,000 or more
    5,265

Property Value

The median value of a property in Santa Cruz County is $826,500.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Santa Cruz County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    717
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    391
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,060
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    647
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    1,612
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    6,831
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    28,685
  • $1,000,000 or more
    18,378

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Santa Cruz County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Santa Cruz County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    12,203
  • 1940 to 1949
    7,872
  • 1950 to 1959
    11,425
  • 1960 to 1969
    15,583
  • 1970 to 1979
    22,731
  • 1980 to 1989
    16,221
  • 1990 to 1999
    9,422
  • 2000 to 2009
    7,798
  • 2010 to 2013
    2,855
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Santa Cruz County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    4,810
  • 1 vehicle available
    26,402
  • 2 vehicles available
    35,441
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    29,823

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Santa Cruz County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Santa Cruz County that commute to work in a particular way.

26.9 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Santa Cruz County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    3,450
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    13,354
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    18,144
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    16,642
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    14,556
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    5,795
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    12,109
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    1,964
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    3,859
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    10,315
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    9,938
  • 90 or more minutes
    3,585

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Santa Cruz County, California in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Santa Cruz County, California

We have data for 34 places in Santa Cruz County, California. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.