Population 7,916 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Central Santa Cruz
Household size in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.42 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.54 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.17 | 2.49 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.45 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.03 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Central Santa Cruz is a place of small households, averaging 2.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the east.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.0 | 36.2 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.0 | 36.5 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.5 | 38.3 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.2 | 38.6 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +2.5 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Central Santa Cruz is young: half of its residents are under 33.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 31.0 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 10.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 9.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 8.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in twelve households in Central Santa Cruz (9.1%), below the national share of 11.6%. Locally, though, single parents are more common here than in Santa Cruz overall (8.1%). The single-parent share is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Central Santa Cruz
Renters in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.3% | 49.4% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 78.5% | 50.1% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 71.6% | 47.8% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 70.8% | 47.0% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Central Santa Cruz rent: 70.8% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. More than a quarter of owners (27.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 4.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 9.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.8% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 9.3% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Central Santa Cruz is close to the national rate: 10.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1966 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1969 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1970 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1971 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Central Santa Cruz run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,243 | $1,390 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,261 | $1,536 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,757 | $1,886 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,230 | $2,418 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$988 | +$1,028 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Central Santa Cruz runs $2,230 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in Santa Cruz as a whole ($2,418). Rents are up $988 a month from 2006–10, a 79% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 37.4% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Central Santa Cruz
Bachelor's degrees in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.9% | 48.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.3% | 47.6% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.2% | 51.1% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 50.6% | 53.3% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +5.1 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Central Santa Cruz: 50.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has risen 6.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.5% | 90.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.4% | 92.3% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.4% | 93.4% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.8% | 93.8% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.3 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Central Santa Cruz is above the national rate: 93.8% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Santa Cruz. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 11.3 points, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Central Santa Cruz
| Period | Central Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 9.3% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 8.0% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −3.2 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Central Santa Cruz than nationally: unemployment was 7.1%, against 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Central Santa Cruz compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Santa Cruz | 2.35 | 33.2 | 9.1% | 70.8% | 10.1% | 1973 | $2,230 | 50.6% | 93.8% | 7.1% |
| Westside | 2.70 | 29.2 | 6.6% | 46.9% | 10.5% | 1973 | $2,328 | 59.5% | 96.8% | 10.1% |
| Live Oak | 2.45 | 43.2 | 10.6% | 41.8% | 8.0% | 1978 | $2,687 | 39.7% | 87.8% | 4.2% |
| Almaden Valley | 2.97 | 45.7 | 5.5% | 20.1% | 3.0% | 1976 | $3,390 | 70.1% | 95.4% | 3.7% |
| Cambrian Park | 2.84 | 40.6 | 8.7% | 34.9% | 4.9% | 1968 | $2,893 | 58.2% | 94.3% | 5.0% |
| Blossom Valley | 2.98 | 39.7 | 10.4% | 37.7% | 4.0% | 1977 | $2,889 | 44.9% | 88.2% | 5.2% |
| Santa Teresa | 2.97 | 38.0 | 11.9% | 33.8% | 2.6% | 1986 | $3,003 | 51.8% | 92.8% | 4.1% |
| West San Jose | 2.76 | 40.2 | 8.0% | 48.7% | 8.2% | 1968 | $2,894 | 62.2% | 92.8% | 4.9% |
| Willow Glen | 2.65 | 39.9 | 10.2% | 47.8% | 6.3% | 1967 | $2,762 | 52.4% | 89.2% | 3.7% |
| Rancho Rinconada | 2.77 | 43.8 | 4.6% | 37.4% | 5.2% | 1970 | $3,452 | 79.6% | 95.4% | 3.7% |
| Edenvale-Seven Trees | 3.93 | 38.1 | 13.9% | 40.2% | 4.1% | 1973 | $2,530 | 22.4% | 71.9% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Westlake Village Area-Los Angeles, Westlake Village, CA · Beechhurst, Queens, NY · East Central Westminster, Westminster, CO · Brighton Heights, Pittsburgh, PA · Highview, Louisville, KY · SouthWest Anaheim, Anaheim, CA · Solivita, Poinciana, FL · Deep Creek West, Chesapeake, VA · Highlands, Lincoln, NE · Far Westside, Syracuse, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Central Santa Cruz. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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