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.
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Home Value$1,271,645
+1.3%
Rent$3,530/mo
AFFORDABILITYRenting $3,803/mo cheaper ($3,530 rent)6.50% 30yr, 20% down, county tax + CA ins. 28% per HUD.
Enter your income for Santa Cruz.
$254,329 on $1,271,645
Out of reach — 117.3% of income
Need $314,271/yr to afford.
PITI$7,333
P/I117.3%
Afford$303K
Gap-$968K
P&I $6,430Tax $752Ins $150
Home Buying Kit For Dummies (2025)Financing, negotiation, closing
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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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