Santa Cruz is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, home to about 61,607 people across 13 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 95060, 95062, 95064 and 95065.
Homes sold for a median of $785 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; also Bonny Doon and Pasatiempo
Mostly Santa Cruz; also Live Oak and Pleasure Point
All in Santa Cruz
Mostly Santa Cruz; also Live Oak
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Santa Cruz. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Santa Cruz’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)25 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | San Jose, CA24 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA292 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Santa Cruz; 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.
Santa Cruz had 62,956 residents in the 2020 census, up 15% since 2000.
It’s the 149th 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 90°F in summer, and winter lows average 37°F. About 49.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 0 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ben Lomond #4, CA weather station (5 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).
3,018 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Santa Cruz’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 195 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 385 |
| Dentists | 108 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 271 |
| Mental health providers | 1,762 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 181 |
| Optometrists | 35 |
| Chiropractors | 81 |
| Pharmacies | 17 |
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 (7 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (7 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (11 nearby)
Counts are within about 2.5 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.
Established in 1791.
Colleges and universities
Sports teams
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Santa Cruz City High, Santa Cruz City Elementary, Bonny Doon Union 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 | 4.4 mi |
| Bay View ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 394 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Bonny Doon ElementarySanta Cruz | K–6 | 92 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Brook Knoll ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 498 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| De Laveaga ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 481 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Del Mar ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 322 | Public | 6.3 mi |
| Gault ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 314 | Public | 4.8 mi |
| Green Acres ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 262 | Public | 5.6 mi |
| Happy Valley ElementarySanta Cruz | K–6 | 106 | Public | 4.9 mi |
| Live Oak ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 362 | Public | 6.1 mi |
| Ocean Alternative Education CenterSanta Cruz | K–8 | 76 | Public | 5.6 mi |
| Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-MonarchSanta Cruz | K–5 | 114 | Alternative Education | 4.4 mi |
| Santa Cruz County Special EducationSanta Cruz | K–12 | 105 | Special Education | 3.0 mi |
| Santa Cruz Gardens ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 214 | Public | 5.7 mi |
| Tierra Pacifica CharterSanta Cruz | K–8 | 166 | Charter | 5.7 mi |
| Westlake ElementarySanta Cruz | K–5 | 453 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Ark Independent StudiesSanta Cruz | 6–12 | 56 | Alternative Education | 4.4 mi |
| Branciforte MiddleSanta Cruz | 6–8 | 409 | Public | 4.5 mi |
| Mission Hill MiddleSanta Cruz | 6–8 | 510 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Shoreline MiddleSanta Cruz | 6–8 | 478 | Public | 6.1 mi |
| Pacific Collegiate CharterSanta Cruz | 7–12 | 536 | Charter | 4.0 mi |
| Santa Cruz County CommunitySanta Cruz | 7–12 | 730 | Alternative Education | 3.0 mi |
| Santa Cruz County CourtSanta Cruz | 7–12 | 20 | Alternative Education | 3.0 mi |
| Costanoa Continuation HighSanta Cruz | 9–12 | 77 | Alternative Education | 4.4 mi |
| Harbor HighSanta Cruz | 9–12 | 1,013 | Public | 5.2 mi |
| Santa Cruz HighSanta Cruz | 9–12 | 1,093 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| Santa Cruz County ROPSanta Cruz | 10–12 | — | Career and Technical | 3.0 mi |
| Special Education PreschoolSanta Cruz | — | — | Public | 5.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Cross SchoolSanta Cruz | Pre-K–8 | 179 | Roman Catholic | 3.9 mi |
| Santa Cruz Waldorf SchoolSanta Cruz | Pre-K–8 | 148 | Nonsectarian | 0.7 mi |
| Spring Hill-Advanced Elementary School of Santa CrSanta Cruz | TK–6 | 72 | Nonsectarian | 4.3 mi |
| Gateway SchoolSanta Cruz | K–8 | 144 | Nonsectarian | 4.7 mi |
| Santa Cruz Childrens SchoolSanta Cruz | K–6 | 46 | Nonsectarian | 4.8 mi |
| Vhm Christian SchoolSanta Cruz | K–8 | 44 | Seventh-day Adventist | 5.4 mi |
| The Bay SchoolSanta Cruz | Ungraded | 33 | Nonsectarian | 5.7 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 Live Oak, Pleasure Point, Twin Lakes (Santa Cruz County), Bonny Doon, Pasatiempo and Paradise Park.
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.