Santa Cruz County, CA

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Population

275,897

0.446% growth

Median Age

37.8


Median Household Income

$79,705

2.7% growth

Poverty Rate

14.7%


Number of Employees

137,657

1.22% growth

Median Property Value

$775,000

8.73% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Santa Cruz County, CA had a population of 276k people with a median age of 37.8 and a median household income of $79,705. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Santa Cruz County, CA grew from 274,673 to 275,897, a 0.446% increase and its median household income grew from $77,613 to $79,705, a 2.7% increase.

The population of Santa Cruz County, CA is 57% White Alone, 33.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 4.7% Asian Alone. N/A% of the people in Santa Cruz County, CA speak a non-English language, and 88.1% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Santa Cruz County, CA are University of California-Santa Cruz (4,863 degrees awarded in 2016), Cabrillo College (1,809 degrees), and CET-Watsonville (117 degrees).

The median property value in Santa Cruz County, CA is $775,000, and the homeownership rate is 62.2%. Most people in Santa Cruz County, CA commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 26.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Santa Cruz County, CA is 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Santa Cruz, CA

Photo by _quintin_

United StatesCaliforniaSanta Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Economy

The economy of Santa Cruz County, CA employs 138k people. The largest industries in Santa Cruz County, CA are Educational Services (18,835 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (17,408 people), and Retail Trade (14,637 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($120,833), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($91,148), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($83,750).

Median household income in Santa Cruz County, CA is $79,705. Males in Santa Cruz County, CA have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $59,658. The income inequality in Santa Cruz County, CA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.497, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$79,705

2017 value

± $6,744

2.7%

1 Year Growth

± 9.51%

Households in Santa Cruz County, CA have a median annual income of $79,705, which is more than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $77,613 in 2016, which represents a 2.7% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Santa Cruz County, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

$75,050

Average Male Salary

± $702

$59,658

Average Female Salary

± $597

In 2017, full-time male employees in California made 1.26 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in California by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $69,782 ± $1,103

  2. White

    $63,110 ± $578

  3. Two or More Races

    $51,776 ± $1,728

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of California workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.11 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in California by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Santa Cruz County, CA is from California.

0.497

2017 Wage GINI

0.503

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in California was 0.497 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.1% decline from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2017 the GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 1210

  2. Census Tract 1212

  3. Census Tract 1220.02

In 2017, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Santa Cruz County, CA was Census Tract 1210 with a value of $134,306, followed by Census Tract 1212 and Census Tract 1220.02, with respective values of $131,816 and $119,148.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Santa Cruz County, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 18 - 24

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

14.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Santa Cruz County, CA (38.6k out of 262k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    28,271 ± 1,364

  2. Hispanic

    17,415 ± 1,091

  3. Other

    5,885 ± 726

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Santa Cruz County, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

138k

2017 Value

± 6,482

1.22%

1 Year growth

± 6.62%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Santa Cruz County, CA grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 136k employees to 138k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Santa Cruz County, CA, are Management Occupations (15,264 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (14,605 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (14,001 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Santa Cruz County, CA.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Santa Cruz County, CA, by number of employees, are Management Occupations (15,264 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (14,605 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (14,001 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Santa Cruz County, CA has an unusually high number of residents working as Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (6.68 times higher than expected), Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations (1.91 times), and Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media Occupations (1.59 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Santa Cruz County, CA, by median earnings, are Legal Occupations ($140,728), Computer & Mathematical Occupations ($121,600), and Computer, Engineering, & Science Occupations ($90,810).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

138k

2017 Value

± 6,482

1.22%

1 Year growth

± 6.62%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Santa Cruz County, CA grew at a rate of 1.22%, from 136k employees to 138k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Santa Cruz County, CA, are Educational Services (18,835 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (17,408 people), and Retail Trade (14,637 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Santa Cruz County, CA, though some of these residents may live in Santa Cruz County, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Santa Cruz County, CA, by number of employees, are Educational Services (18,835 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (17,408 people), and Retail Trade (14,637 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Santa Cruz County, CA has an unusually high number of Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (5.06 times higher than expected), Educational Services (1.5 times), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing (1.33 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Santa Cruz County, CA, by median earnings, are Utilities ($120,833), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($91,148), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($83,750).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Electronics

    $196B

  2. Mixed freight

    $157B

  3. Gasoline

    $127B

In 2015, the top outbound California product (by dollars) was Electronics with $196B, followed by Mixed freight ($157B) and Gasoline ($127B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound California products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for California state.

$1.54T

2015 Value

$2.48T

Projected 2045 Value

61.2% growth

In 2015, total outbound California trade was $1.54T. This is expected to increase 61.2% to $2.48T by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound California trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Texas

    $63.1B

  2. Arizona

    $42.2B

  3. Washington

    $31.2B

In 2015, the top outbound California domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $63.1B, followed by Arizona with $42.2B and Washington and $31.2B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that California shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

94.5% of the population of Santa Cruz County, CA has health coverage, with 47.6% on employee plans, 18.5% on Medicaid, 11.4% on Medicare, 16.2% on non-group plans, and 0.775% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the county of Santa Cruz County, CA was $7,549 in 2014. This is a 4.04% increase from the previous year ($7,256).

Primary care physicians in Santa Cruz County, CA see 1027 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.68% increase from the previous year (1010 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1260 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 150 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Tehama County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (10.6%). Additionally, Tulare County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (33.4%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,027 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Santa Cruz County, CA see an average of 1,027 patients per year. This represents a 1.68% increase from the previous year (1,010 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Santa Cruz County, CA in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

$7,549

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,735

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$5,368

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,833

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in California (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.04%, from $7,256 to $7,549.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

5.54%

Uninsured

47.6%

Employer Coverage

18.5%

Medicaid

11.4%

Medicare

16.2%

Non-Group

0.775%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Santa Cruz County, CA grew by 21.8% from 4.55% to 5.54%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Santa Cruz County, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Tehama County

    10.6% prevalence

  2. San Joaquin County

    10.5% prevalence

  3. Alpine County

    10.3% prevalence

Tehama County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in California, at 10.6%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in California by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Santa Cruz County, CA is home to a population of 276k people, from which 88.1% are citizens. As of 2017, 17.9% of Santa Cruz County, CA residents were born outside of the country (49.5k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Santa Cruz County, CA is composed of 157k White Alone residents (57%), 93.6k Hispanic or Latino residents (33.9%), 13k Asian Alone residents (4.7%), 8.72k Two or More Races residents (3.16%), 2.32k Black or African American Alone residents (0.842%), 587 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.213%), 423 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.153%), and 85 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0308%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Santa Cruz County, CA are N/A.

Age

Age by Nativity

35

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.7

45

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 2.3

In 2017, the median age of all people in Santa Cruz County, CA was 37.8. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 35, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 45. But people in Santa Cruz County, CA are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all Santa Cruz County, CA residents was 37.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

17.9%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

49.5k people

17.8%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

48.9k people

As of 2017, 17.9% of Santa Cruz County, CA residents (49.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Santa Cruz County, CA was 17.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Santa Cruz County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    4,079,391 ± 46,960 people

  2. Philippines

    859,594 ± 22,514 people

  3. China

    683,330 ± 20,119 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 4,079,391 California residents, followed by Philippines with 859,594 and China with 683,330.

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Citizenship

88.1%

2017 Citizenship

89.7%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 88.1% of Santa Cruz County, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Santa Cruz County, CA was 89.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Santa Cruz County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    157k ± 598

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    93.6k ± 7.99k

  3. Asian Alone

    13k ± 1.01k

In 2017, there were 1.68 times more White Alone residents (157k people) in Santa Cruz County, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 93.6k Hispanic or Latino and 13k Asian Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Santa Cruz County, CA as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. N/A

    N/A speakers (N/A%)

  2. N/A

    N/A speakers (N/A%)

  3. N/A

    N/A speakers (N/A%)

N/A% of Santa Cruz County, CA citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is approximately the same as the national average of 21.8%. In N/A, the most common non-English language spoken in Santa Cruz County, CA was N/A. N/A% of the overall population of Santa Cruz County, CA are native N/A speakers. N/A% speak N/A and N/A% speak N/A, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. false

    0 ± 0

  2. false

    0 ± 0

  3. false

    0 ± 0

Santa Cruz County, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in false, N/A times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Santa Cruz County, CA awarded 6,872 degrees. The student population of Santa Cruz County, CA is skewed towards women, with 15,005 male students and 16,193 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Santa Cruz County, CA are White (2,842 and 42.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (2,225 and 33.2%), Asian (1,011 and 15.1%), and Two or More Races (333 and 4.96%).

The largest universities in Santa Cruz County, CA by number of degrees awarded are University of California-Santa Cruz (4,863 and 70.8%), Cabrillo College (1,809 and 26.3%), and CET-Watsonville (117 and 1.7%).

The most popular majors in Santa Cruz County, CA are General Psychology (574 and 8.35%), Humanistic Studies (419 and 6.1%), and Sociology (328 and 4.77%).

The median tuition costs in Santa Cruz County, CA are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $11,220 and $37,902 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Psychology

    496 degrees awarded

  2. Sociology

    278 degrees awarded

  3. Business & Managerial Economics

    270 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Santa Cruz County, CA was General Psychology with 496 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Santa Cruz County, CA according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of California-Santa Cruz

    4,863 degrees awarded

  2. Cabrillo College

    1,809 degrees awarded

  3. CET-Watsonville

    117 degrees awarded

$11,220

Median In-State Public

$N/A

Median Private

In 2016, the Santa Cruz County, CA institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of California-Santa Cruz with 4,863 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

3,007

Degrees Awarded to Men

3,865

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 3,007 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Santa Cruz County, CA, which is 0.778 times less than the 3,865 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the institutions in Santa Cruz County, CA by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    2,842 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    2,225 degrees awarded

  3. Asian

    1,011 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Santa Cruz County, CA were to White students. These 2,842 degrees mean that there were 1.28 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 2,225 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Santa Cruz County, CA was $775,000 in 2017, which is 3.56 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $712,800 to $775,000, a 8.73% increase. The homeownership rate in Santa Cruz County, CA is 62.2%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Santa Cruz County, CA have an average commute time of 26.1 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Santa Cruz County, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$79,705

Median Household Income

± $6,744

95.9k

Number of Households

± 5,329

In 2017, the median household income of the 95.9k households in Santa Cruz County, CA grew to $79,705 from the previous year's value of $77,613.

The following chart displays the households in Santa Cruz County, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Housing

Property Value

$775,000

2017 Median

± $23,232

$712,800

2016 Median

± $25,398

In 2017, the median property value in Santa Cruz County, CA grew to to $775,000 from the previous year's value of $712,800.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Santa Cruz County, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Santa Cruz County, CA the largest share of households have a property value in the $750k - $1000k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Santa Cruz County, CA distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Santa Cruz County, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

62.2%

2017 Homeownership

58.4%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 62.2% of the housing units in Santa Cruz County, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.4%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Santa Cruz County, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Santa Cruz County, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Santa Cruz County, CA have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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Commute Time

26.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Santa Cruz County, CA have a longer commute time (26.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 3.74% of the workforce in Santa Cruz County, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Santa Cruz County, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    71.2%

  2. Worked At Home

    7.84%

  3. Carpooled

    7.46%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Santa Cruz County, CA was Drove Alone (71.2%), followed by those who Worked At Home (7.84%) and those who Carpooled (7.46%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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