Pajaro is a community in Santa Cruz County, California, home to about 2,899 people across 0.9 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 95076.
Homes sold for a median of $575 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Watsonville; part is in Pajaro
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Pajaro. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Pajaro’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)33 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Monterey Regional Airport (MRY)23 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | San Jose, CA27 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA274 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Pajaro; 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.
Pajaro had 2,882 residents in the 2020 census, down 15% since 2000.
It’s the 801st 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 74°F in summer, and winter lows average 39°F. About 22.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Watsonville Wtr Wks, CA weather station (2 miles 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).
728 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Pajaro.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 77 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 43 |
| Dentists | 52 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 78 |
| Mental health providers | 411 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 41 |
| Optometrists | 9 |
| Chiropractors | 17 |
| Pharmacies | 8 |
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 (22 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile 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 Pajaro Valley Unified, Watsonville Prep District, Ceiba College Preparatory Academy District and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alianza CharterWatsonville | K–8 | 626 | Charter | 3.8 mi |
| Amesti ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 431 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Ann Soldo ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 377 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Bradley ElementaryWatsonville | K–6 | 520 | Public | 5.3 mi |
| Calabasas ElementaryWatsonville | K–6 | 512 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| H. A. Hyde ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 476 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Hall District ElementaryWatsonville | K–6 | 470 | Public | 3.6 mi |
| Landmark ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 419 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Linscott CharterWatsonville | K–8 | 258 | Charter | 0.4 mi |
| Mintie White ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 493 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Ohlone ElementaryWatsonville | K–6 | 391 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| Pacific Coast CharterWatsonville | K–12 | 132 | Charter | 2.1 mi |
| PVUSD Virtual AcademyWatsonville | K–12 | 43 | Alternative Education | 0.3 mi |
| Radcliff ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 409 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Starlight ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 383 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| T. S. MacQuiddy ElementaryWatsonville | K–5 | 438 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Watsonville Charter School of the ArtsWatsonville | K–8 | 415 | Charter | 3.7 mi |
| Watsonville PrepWatsonville | K–8 | 488 | Charter | <0.1 mi |
| Ceiba College Preparatory AcademyWatsonville | 6–12 | 501 | Charter | 0.4 mi |
| Cesar E. Chavez MiddleWatsonville | 6–8 | 548 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| E. A. Hall MiddleWatsonville | 6–8 | 491 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Lakeview MiddleWatsonville | 6–8 | 425 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Pajaro MiddleWatsonville | 6–8 | 398 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Rolling Hills MiddleWatsonville | 6–8 | 588 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Diamond Technology InstituteWatsonville | 9–12 | 87 | Charter | 1.3 mi |
| New School Community DayWatsonville | 9–12 | 42 | Alternative Education | 1.2 mi |
| Pajaro Valley HighWatsonville | 9–12 | 1,293 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Renaissance High ContinuationLa Selva Beach | 9–12 | 112 | Alternative Education | 5.1 mi |
| Watsonville HighWatsonville | 9–12 | 2,215 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Santa Cruz County Career Advancement CharterFreedom | 12 | 207 | Charter | 2.1 mi |
And 1 more.
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Madonna SchoolWatsonville | Pre-K–12 | 150 | Nonsectarian | 8.3 mi |
| Moreland Notre Dame SchoolWatsonville | TK–8 | 273 | Roman Catholic | 0.4 mi |
| Monterey Bay AcademyLa Selva Beach | 9–12 | 154 | Seventh-day Adventist | 4.5 mi |
| St Francis High School Salesian College PrepWatsonville | 9–12 | 212 | Roman Catholic | 2.3 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 Watsonville, Interlaken, Las Lomas, Prunedale, Amesti, Freedom, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley and Pajaro Dunes.
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.