Population 55 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Santa Cruz
Household size in Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.10 | 2.83 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 4.49 | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.18 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 4.47 | 2.80 | 2.70 | 2.65 |
| Change | +1.36 | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Santa Cruz is a place of big households: 4.47 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 3.10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9 | 35.6 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.7 | 36.9 | 38.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.7 | 38.3 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 29.4 | 39.1 | 40.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.4 | +3.5 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
Santa Cruz is young: half of its residents are under 29.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children.
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 Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1% | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.6% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 35.3% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Santa Cruz: 35.3% of all households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Santa Cruz
Renters in Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.3% | 32.8% | 32.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.1% | 37.7% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.9% | 36.6% | 35.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 42.0% | 33.4% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Santa Cruz than nationally: 42.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Just over eight in ten owners (83.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 14.1% | 15.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.4% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 28.9% | 10.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 8.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −5.6 pts | −5.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Santa Cruz: just 4.6% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
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 Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1988 | 1987 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1995 | 1989 | 1988 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1997 | 1990 | 1989 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1999 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Santa Cruz has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1999, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $736 | $1,123 | $1,043 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $850 | $1,158 | $1,078 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $630 | $1,342 | $1,227 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $587 | $1,927 | $1,736 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$149 | +$804 | +$694 | +$606 |
The median renter in Santa Cruz pays $587 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 20.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Santa Cruz
Bachelor's degrees in Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 27.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 28.5% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 31.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 35.0% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Santa Cruz have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 6.9%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.8% | 85.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 67.5% | 86.0% | 85.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 65.9% | 87.2% | 86.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.7% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Santa Cruz never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% 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 Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 22.9% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −11.8 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Santa Cruz than nationally: unemployment was 7.3%, 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).
Santa Cruz compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | 4.47 | 29.4 | 35.3% | 42.0% | 4.6% | 1999 | $587 | 6.9% | 75.7% | 7.3% |
| Laveen Village | 4.98 | 28.5 | 33.5% | 36.4% | 3.5% | 2004 | $1,632 | 8.8% | 77.9% | 6.8% |
| Sacate | 11.71 | 19.3 | 94.1% | 100.0% | 22.7% | 1993 | $2,120 | 26.9% | 73.1% | 0.0% |
| Maricopa Colony | 5.11 | 28.1 | 31.3% | 32.9% | 3.1% | 2006 | $2,120 | 10.1% | 78.0% | 6.8% |
| Laveen | 3.54 | 32.7 | 18.5% | 21.0% | 4.1% | 2004 | $2,091 | 28.6% | 86.6% | 4.9% |
| Maricopa Village | 4.48 | 29.0 | 15.9% | 7.1% | 16.7% | 2000 | $2,167 | 3.3% | 75.0% | 1.1% |
| Rainbow Valley | 2.47 | 52.3 | 12.0% | 6.4% | 6.7% | 2011 | $1,560 | 40.9% | 89.2% | 3.3% |
| Guadalupe | 3.17 | 33.2 | 25.8% | 51.5% | 8.5% | 1992 | $1,049 | 18.1% | 80.3% | 4.4% |
| Casa Blanca | 4.61 | 29.6 | 38.3% | 46.0% | 4.4% | 1999 | $534 | 6.1% | 78.1% | 6.9% |
| Wet Camp Village | 4.67 | 29.3 | 38.6% | 47.4% | 4.4% | 1999 | $506 | 6.0% | 77.7% | 6.8% |
| Sun Lakes | 1.66 | 72.5 | 4.4% | 12.0% | 15.5% | 1991 | $2,289 | 39.6% | 96.9% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Weston, GA · Hunter Creek, AZ · Huntley, PA · Incline, CA · Wing, AR · Wilsons Mills, ME · Whites Bluff, AL · Wharton, PA · Westover, TX · Hunnewell, KS
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 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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