Santa Cruz County, CA Average Home Price (2026)
The average home price in Santa Cruz County, California is about $971,000 (the 2026 median across 17 ZIP codes, at ~$705/sq ft) — 41% more expensive than the California median and 236% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.
How Santa Cruz County compares
Santa Cruz County is relatively expensive for housing nationally: its typical home costs $971,000 against $688,000 for California and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $681,000 to $1,403,000.
| Area | Typical value | $ / sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County | $971,000 | $705 |
| California | $688,000 | $451 |
| United States | $289,000 | $193 |
Cities in Santa Cruz County
Cities with their own home-value page, largest first:
Santa Cruz County home prices by ZIP code
The 15 most valuable ZIP codes in Santa Cruz County (of 17 with data):
| ZIP code | Typical value | $ / sq ft | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95033 Lexington Hills | $1,403,000 | $698 | +44% |
| 95060 Santa Cruz | $1,373,000 | $818 | +41% |
| 95073 Soquel | $1,351,000 | $744 | +39% |
| 95065 Santa Cruz | $1,333,000 | $750 | +37% |
| 95003 Aptos | $1,319,000 | $799 | +36% |
| 95062 Santa Cruz | $1,311,000 | $1020 | +35% |
| 95066 Scotts Valley | $1,242,000 | $705 | +28% |
| 95010 Capitola | $1,227,000 | $1054 | +26% |
| 95017 Davenport | $971,000 | $806 | +0% |
| 95005 Ben Lomond | $911,000 | $579 | -6% |
| 95018 Ben Lomond | $832,000 | $617 | -14% |
| 95076 Watsonville | $823,000 | $578 | -15% |
| 95041 Felton | $795,000 | $719 | -18% |
| 95007 Boulder Creek | $763,000 | $506 | -21% |
| 95019 Watsonville | $739,000 | $381 | -24% |
Home value appreciation in Santa Cruz County
Home prices in Santa Cruz County have risen about 61% over the last 10 years (≈4.9% a year) and +52.2% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +0.3% — roughly flat. A home worth $971,000 today was worth roughly $604,231 ten years ago.
See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, California is +80.3% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.
Calculators for Santa Cruz County
Run the numbers for Santa Cruz County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.
Salary needed to buy a home in Santa Cruz County
To buy the typical $971,000 home in Santa Cruz County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $264,000 a year (about $6,160 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $314,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.
| Down payment | Cash down | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (+PMI) | $48,600 | $7,660/mo | $328,000/yr |
| 10% (+PMI) | $97,100 | $7,320/mo | $314,000/yr |
| 20% | $194,200 | $6,160/mo | $264,000/yr |
Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.
What your budget buys in Santa Cruz County
At about $705 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Santa Cruz County:
| Budget | Approx. size | What that looks like locally |
|---|---|---|
| $500k | 710 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $600k | 850 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $750k | 1060 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $1.00M | 1420 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $1.50M | 2130 sq ft | above the median — larger homes or the pricier ZIPs |
Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to California.
Estimate a specific home in Santa Cruz County
Enter your ZIP and size for an instant estimate tailored to your exact area:
Santa Cruz County home prices: frequently asked
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Browse all California cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.
Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.