Santa Cruz housing market
Typical home value
$1.14M
▲ 4.8% 1 yr
Typical rent
$3,469/mo
▲ 3.6% 1 yr
12-month forecast
+0.3%
#446 of 546 metros
Gross rent yield
3.7%
#533 of 546 · U.S. 6.3%
Days to pending
53 days
▼ −8 days 1 yr
Listings with a price cut
28%
▲ +1.1 pts 1 yr
Key takeaways
- 1The typical home is worth $1,136,154, up 4.8% in a year and up 12% over five years.
- 2Zillow forecasts home values rising 0.3% over the next 12 months (U.S.: +1.1%).
- 3Typical rent is $3,469/mo (+3.6% YoY), a 3.7% gross yield, below the U.S. 6.3%.
- 4At 7.32% with 20% down, the typical home costs $6,244/mo in principal and interest, $2,775 more than renting.
- 5Homes go under contract in 53 days (−8 days vs last year); 28% of listings have had a price cut.
Market temperature
Buyer's market
Buyer'sNeutralSeller's
Zillow Market Heat Index: 40/100, #274 hottest of 546 metros. Below 44 favors buyers; above 55 favors sellers.
Home values and rent
How fast homes are selling
For saleNew listings
Affordability
To buy (20% down)To rent
Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI and market activity data).
How Santa Cruz compares
| Measure | Santa Cruz | United States | Rank of 546 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home value, 1-yr change | +4.8% | +1.2% | #81 |
| Home value, 5-yr change | +11.9% | +19.7% | |
| 12-month forecast | +0.3% | +1.1% | #446 |
| Rent, 1-yr change | +3.6% | +2.7% | #235 |
| Gross rent yield | 3.7% | 6.3% | #533 |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 27.3 | 15.8 | |
| Mortgage P&I on typical home | $6,244 | $2,012 | |
| Income needed to buy | $294,646 | $100,902 | |
| Days to pending | 53 | 56 |
Cities in the Santa Cruz metro
4 cities with home value and rent data.
| Santa Cruz | $1.34M | ▲ 5.8% | $3,418 | ▲ 3.3% | 3.1% |
| Watsonville | $813K | ▲ 1.5% | $3,332 | ▼ 2.6% | 4.9% |
| Aptos | $1.32M | ▲ 2.9% | $4,226 | ▲ 8.7% | 3.8% |
| Capitola | $1.23M | ▲ 7.5% | $3,459 | ▲ 4.2% | 3.4% |
Run the numbers
Rental property calculator
Cash flow on a typical Santa Cruz rental ($1.14M, $3,469/mo), pre-filled.
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment on a typical Santa Cruz home.
Rent vs buy
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Santa Cruz?
Renting out a property in California? See deposit limits, late fee rules and notice periods.
Other California metros
Los Angeles, CA
$950K home$2,929 rent3.7% yield
▲ 1.3% 1 yr
San Francisco, CA
$1.12M home$3,445 rent3.7% yield
▲ 3.1% 1 yr
Riverside, CA
$580K home$2,533 rent5.2% yield
▲ 0.6% 1 yr
San Diego, CA
$927K home$2,967 rent3.8% yield
▲ 0.8% 1 yr
Sacramento, CA
$573K home$2,269 rent4.8% yield
■ 0.0% 1 yr
San Jose, CA
$1.52M home$3,812 rent3.0% yield
▲ 0.2% 1 yr
Fresno, CA
$404K home$2,052 rent6.1% yield
▲ 1.1% 1 yr
Bakersfield, CA
$360K home$1,822 rent6.1% yield
■ 0.0% 1 yr
Gross yield = 12 × typical rent ÷ typical home value, before expenses. Mortgage estimate: 20% down, 30-year fixed at the current Freddie Mac average, principal and interest only. Forecast: Zillow Home Value Forecast. Data refreshed Oct 26, 2026.