The median home in Santa Cruz, California is valued at $1,271,645, up 1.3% year over year. Typical monthly rent is $3,530, producing a price-to-rent ratio of 30x — well above the national average of 18x. Santa Cruz is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan area, which CrashWatch tracks daily with real-time stress scores and crash risk analysis.

Home Value$1,271,645

+1.3%

Rent$3,530/mo

Prices rising — worse for buyers.

Affordability

Enter your income for Santa Cruz.

Income (annual)

Down Payment

$254,329 on $1,271,645

Example: $75,000 household income. Change it above to see your own.

Out of reach117.3% of income

Need $314,271/yr to afford.

PITI$7,333

P/I117.3%

Afford$303K

Gap-$968K

P&I $6,430Tax $752Ins $150

Renting $3,803/mo cheaper ($3,530 rent)6.50% 30yr, 20% down, county tax + CA ins. 28% per HUD.

Home Buying Kit For Dummies (2025)Financing, negotiation, closing

Other cities in California

Compare Santa Cruz with other housing markets across California.

Atherton$7.52M Los Altos Hills$5.8M Montecito$5.25M Hidden Hills$4.99M Hillsborough$4.95M Los Altos$4.45M Belvedere$4.42M Rancho Santa Fe$4.19M

Full Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA analysis

Stress scores, crash risk, early warning signals, and 12-month price forecasts for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro.

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Santa Cruz, CA