Live Oak is a community in Santa Cruz County, California, home to about 16,911 people across 3.2 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 95062, 95065 and 95073.
Homes sold for a median of $699 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly Santa Cruz; part is in Live Oak
Mostly Santa Cruz; part is in Live Oak
Mostly Soquel; part is in Live Oak
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Live Oak. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Live Oak’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)26 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | San Jose, CA23 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA287 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Live Oak; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Live Oak had 17,038 residents in the 2020 census, up 2% since 2000.
It’s the 383rd largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Santa Cruz County grew from 21,512 residents in 1900 to 270,861 in 2020.
Santa Cruz County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 77°F in summer, and winter lows average 41°F. About 30.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Santa Cruz, CA weather station (about a mile away).
80,209 jobs at 7,136 businesses in Santa Cruz County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1,615 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Live Oak’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 119 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 379 |
| Dentists | 76 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 185 |
| Mental health providers | 645 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 135 |
| Optometrists | 13 |
| Chiropractors | 63 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (16 nearby)
Grocery stores (6 nearby)
Pharmacies (4 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Santa Cruz City High, Santa Cruz City Elementary, Live Oak Elementary and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative Family EducationSanta Cruz | K–12 | 110 | Alternative Education | 1.7 mi |
| De Laveaga ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 481 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Del Mar ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 322 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Gault ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 314 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Green Acres ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 262 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Happy Valley ElementarySanta Cruz | K–6 | 106 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Live Oak ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 362 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Main Street ElementarySoquel | K–5 | 383 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Mountain ElementarySoquel | K–6 | 143 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| Ocean Alternative Education CenterSanta Cruz | K–8 | 76 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-MonarchSanta Cruz | K–5 | 114 | Alternative Education | 1.6 mi |
| Santa Cruz Gardens ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 214 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Soquel ElementarySoquel | K–5 | 337 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Tierra Pacifica CharterSanta Cruz | K–8 | 166 | Charter | 0.4 mi |
| Ark Independent StudiesSanta Cruz | 6–12 | 56 | Alternative Education | 1.7 mi |
| Branciforte MiddleSanta Cruz | 6–8 | 409 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Shoreline MiddleSanta Cruz | 6–8 | 478 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Costanoa Continuation HighSanta Cruz | 9–12 | 77 | Alternative Education | 1.7 mi |
| Harbor HighSanta Cruz | 9–12 | 1,013 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Soquel HighSoquel | 9–12 | 1,074 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Special Education PreschoolSanta Cruz | — | — | Public | 0.3 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tara Redwood SchoolSoquel | Pre-K–5 | 70 | Nonsectarian | 3.3 mi |
| Santa Cruz Childrens SchoolSanta Cruz | K–6 | 46 | Nonsectarian | 1.3 mi |
| Vhm Christian SchoolSanta Cruz | K–8 | 44 | Seventh-day Adventist | 0.7 mi |
| The Bay SchoolSanta Cruz | Ungraded | 33 | Nonsectarian | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Soquel, Santa Cruz, Pleasure Point and Twin Lakes (Santa Cruz County).
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.