Population 796 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Santa Cruz
Household size in Santa Cruz
| Period | Santa Cruz | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.85 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.88 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 4.33 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.57 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.29 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Santa Cruz is a place of big households: 3.57 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has dropped from 3.85 in 2006–10, 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 28.2 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 25.6 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 29.1 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Santa Cruz is young: half of its residents are under 29.1, 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.6% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 32.5% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in five households in Santa Cruz (19.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Santa Cruz is largely a place of homeowners: only 23.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About eight in ten owners (79.4%) 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Santa Cruz: 12.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1994 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Santa Cruz is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1991, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The picture is much the same across Texas.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $436 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $533 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $660 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $723 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$287 | +$639 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Santa Cruz costs $723 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 29.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Santa Cruz: 9.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.7% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 56.7% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 61.7% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 56.9% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than four in ten adults in Santa Cruz never finished high school, well above the national share: only 56.9% 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Santa Cruz than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 3.57 | 29.1 | 19.2% | 23.7% | 12.0% | 1991 | $723 | 9.8% | 56.9% | 4.1% |
| Rio Grande City | 3.44 | 30.2 | 22.6% | 28.4% | 14.4% | 1995 | $744 | 14.2% | 60.5% | 9.9% |
| Garza-Salinas II | 3.79 | 31.3 | 37.1% | 20.3% | 16.1% | 1991 | $719 | 2.7% | 42.5% | 7.8% |
| Los Ebanos | 3.95 | 29.4 | 16.1% | 25.8% | 19.8% | 2001 | $905 | 7.4% | 59.4% | 6.8% |
| Garciasville | 3.35 | 37.1 | 12.7% | 32.0% | 20.3% | 1991 | $707 | 13.1% | 55.6% | 12.1% |
| La Casita | 3.53 | 40.1 | 14.9% | 33.3% | 23.3% | 1989 | $657 | 7.6% | 53.1% | 13.6% |
| Loma Linda East | 2.79 | 45.5 | 7.7% | 54.4% | 12.4% | 2001 | $626 | 16.5% | 48.5% | 16.8% |
| Rosita | 3.39 | 29.5 | 17.8% | 27.0% | 12.4% | 2000 | $844 | 10.3% | 59.8% | 15.1% |
| Grulla | 4.28 | 26.6 | 23.3% | 19.4% | 20.2% | 1995 | $645 | 22.3% | 56.2% | 5.0% |
| Escobares | 3.51 | 28.3 | 29.1% | 30.6% | 23.8% | 1990 | $907 | 15.9% | 59.8% | 5.8% |
| East Alto Bonito | 4.62 | 29.7 | 3.5% | 10.0% | 7.7% | 1992 | $797 | 6.9% | 67.0% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Clifford, NY · Utopia, TX · Ulman, MO · Uehling, NE · Turtle Lake, ND · Turnersville, TN · Five Points, AL · Denmark, TN · Cordova, NC · Colesburg, IA
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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