Population 2,944 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Santa Cruz
Household size in Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.85 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.50 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Santa Cruz average 2.85 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.35, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.9 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.3 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.4 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.3, Santa Cruz is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that 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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Santa Cruz: 6.8% of 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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.3% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.6% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.2% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Santa Cruz own their homes; 28.9% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. The picture is much the same across New Mexico. Among homeowners, 75.0% have no mortgage at all, 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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 26.6% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +11.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 21.4% of the housing in Santa Cruz, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Santa Cruz was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $490 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $489 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $603 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,077 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$587 | +$411 | +$606 |
Rent in Santa Cruz runs $1,077 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 45.0% 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 Santa Cruz
Bachelor's degrees in Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Santa Cruz have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.1%, 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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.1% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.2% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.6% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.0% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Santa Cruz never finished high school, more than nationally: 86.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.8% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Santa Cruz: 13.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 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 | 2.85 | 35.3 | 6.8% | 28.9% | 21.4% | 1983 | $1,077 | 16.1% | 86.0% | 13.3% |
| Espanola | 2.48 | 39.4 | 14.6% | 27.4% | 14.5% | 1980 | $935 | 21.1% | 85.0% | 5.3% |
| El Rancho | 2.54 | 36.5 | 15.3% | 22.8% | 11.1% | 1990 | $956 | 17.6% | 88.7% | 5.1% |
| La Puebla | 2.77 | 37.2 | 2.0% | 11.5% | 24.1% | 1982 | $1,117 | 15.7% | 87.7% | 17.3% |
| Santa Clara Pueblo | 2.94 | 37.3 | 21.1% | 20.4% | 25.3% | 1983 | $698 | 19.6% | 89.7% | 7.4% |
| Ohkay Owingeh | 3.97 | 32.9 | 36.9% | 25.3% | 18.1% | 1983 | $725 | 23.3% | 92.2% | 2.6% |
| San Juan Pueblo | 3.50 | 36.0 | 27.5% | 19.9% | 17.6% | 1984 | $825 | 18.3% | 88.9% | 4.0% |
| Pueblito | 2.93 | 40.7 | 24.2% | 19.9% | 14.0% | 1988 | $1,391 | 12.9% | 88.7% | 15.2% |
| Chimayo | 2.55 | 40.1 | 20.4% | 20.2% | 21.0% | 1979 | $956 | 13.0% | 87.3% | 0.7% |
| Chamita | 2.66 | 38.9 | 16.6% | 15.2% | 16.0% | 1983 | $988 | 12.5% | 85.2% | 6.7% |
| Guique | 3.94 | 40.0 | 19.9% | 13.8% | 20.7% | 1992 | $690 | 16.0% | 86.7% | 0.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ash Flat, AR · Backus, MN · Belfry, KY · Belle Rose, LA · Big Timber, MT · Blue Mound, TX · Carmel, ME · Cato, NY · Center City, MN · Coleraine, MN
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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