Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population

264,926

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

39.8

0.505% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11.6%

3.58% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$111,093

1.67% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$1.03M

1.21% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

130,957

1.7% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90% of the residents in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA are University of California-Santa Cruz (5,565 degrees awarded in 2024), Cabrillo College (2,551 degrees), and Five Branches University (134 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $1.03M, and the homeownership rate was 59.9%.

Most people in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was 2 cars per household.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA borders Salinas, CA, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.

Photo by Ken Lund

United States California

Population & Diversity

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is home to a population of 265k people, from which 90% are citizens. As of 2024, 18% of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA residents were born outside of the country (47.7k people).

In 2024, there were 3.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (143k people) in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 43.3k Other (Hispanic) and 26.6k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90%

2024 Citizenship

90.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90% of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was 90.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
143k ± 643
Other (Hispanic)
43.3k ± 2.38k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
26.6k ± 1.96k

35.2%

Hispanic Population

93.3k people

35.2% of the people in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA are hispanic (93.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

18%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

47.7k people

17.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

47.1k people

As of 2024, 18% of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA residents (47.7k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was 17.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,704 ± 451
Gulf War (2001-)
1,209 ± 291
Gulf War (1990s)
783 ± 207

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.06 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.

Health

95.1% of the population of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA has health coverage, with 49% on employee plans, 18.3% on Medicaid, 13.6% on Medicare, 13.5% on non-group plans, and 0.642% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,233 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in California

Primary care physicians in California see an average of 1,233 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in California in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.9% under 18 years, 23.5% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.92%

Uninsured

49%

Employer Coverage

18.3%

Medicaid

13.6%

Medicare

13.5%

Non-Group

0.642%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA declined by 7.37% from 5.31% to 4.92%.

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

Economy

The economy of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA employs 131k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA were Educational Services (17,434 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (16,081 people), and Retail Trade (12,951 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($114,116), Finance & Insurance ($113,995), and Information ($102,865).

Employment

Occupations

131k

2024 Value

± 2,994

−1.7%

1 Year decline

± 3.27%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA declined at a rate of −1.7%, from 133k employees to 131k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, are Management Occupations (17,539 people), Sales & Related Occupations (11,624 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (10,953 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

131k

2024 Value

± 2,994

−1.7%

1 Year decline

± 3.27%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA declined at a rate of −1.7%, from 133k employees to 131k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, are Educational Services (17,434 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (16,081 people), and Retail Trade (12,951 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, though some of these residents may live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,792

Median earning men ± $2,820

$44,905

Median earning women ± $2,412

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($122,050), Information ($104,306), and Manufacturing ($102,615).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($101,314), Public Administration ($88,000), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($69,086).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

697
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
598
Construction
472
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$973k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$595k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$455k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 51 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA awarded 8,363 degrees. The student population of Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 13,803 male students and 16,055 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA are Hispanic or Latino (2,857 and 35.9%), White (2,844 and 35.8%), Asian (1,406 and 17.7%), and Two or More Races (582 and 7.32%).

The largest universities in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA by number of degrees awarded are University of California-Santa Cruz (5,565 and 66.5%), Cabrillo College (2,551 and 30.5%), and Five Branches University (134 and 1.6%).

The most popular majors in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA are Computer Science (737 and 8.81%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (732 and 8.75%), and General Psychology (623 and 7.45%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $12,260 for in-state students and $44,148 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 65.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.29%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 29,858 (46.2% men and 53.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 29,858 students enrolled in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, 46.2% men and 53.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 10,290 records, of which 60.5% were women and 39.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer Science
655 degrees awarded
General Psychology
507 degrees awarded
Business & Managerial Economics
306 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was Computer Science with 655 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of California-Santa Cruz
5,565 degrees awarded
Cabrillo College
2,551 degrees awarded
Five Branches University
134 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of California-Santa Cruz with 5,565 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 3,831 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, which is 0.845 times less than the 4,532 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 2,857 degrees mean that there were 1 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 2,844 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($12,260) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,775) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($2,250) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $1.03M in 2024, which is 3.09 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $1.02M to $1.03M, a 1.21% increase. The homeownership rate in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is 59.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA have an average commute time of 25.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$1.03M

Median Property Value 2024

±$15,133

$58,079

Median Property Taxes

±$1,595

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

59.9%

Homeownership

2024

66.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 59.9% of the housing units in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 60%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

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

$111,093

Median Household Income

± $2,734

96.9k

Number of Households

± 2,413

In 2024, the median household income of the 96.9k households in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA grew to $111,093 from the previous year's value of $109,266.

The following chart displays the households in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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.

Wage Distribution

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

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (62.2%)
Worked At Home (19.3%)
Carpooled (8.15%)

In 2024, 62.2% of workers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (19.3%) and those who carpooled to work (8.15%).

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.

Commute Time

25.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA have a shorter commute time (25.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.39% of the workforce in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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-Watsonville, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (29.5k out of 254k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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.