Housing in Santa Cruz, CA

Home values, rent, ownership rates, and housing market data

Housing Market Snapshot

Source: Redfin — January 2026

Median Sale Price

$1,050,750

Median List Price

$1,297,000

Price Per Sq Ft

$595

Days on Market

Active Inventory

Months of Supply

3.1

Seller's market

Zillow Home Value

$1,271,645

ZHVI — January 2026

Zillow Rent Index

$3,530

ZORI — January 2026

Price Trends

Source: Redfin

Sale Price ↓ 8.6%List Price ↓ 16.2%Mar 24 → Jan 26

Market Competitiveness

Source: Redfin

Sold Above List

14.3%

Off Market in 2 Weeks

57.9%

Sale-to-List Ratio

97.9%

Buyer's market

Sold Above Asking

14.3%

Under Contract in 2 Wks

57.9%

Listings with Price Drops

22.7%

Market Activity

Source: Redfin

Homes Sold

New Listings

Pending Sales

Homes Sold ↓ 26.3%New Listings ↓ 25.0%Pending ↓ 5.0%Mar 24 → Jan 26

Price Per Square Foot

Source: Redfin

Median Sale $/SF

$595

Median List $/SF

$937

Sale $/SF ↓ 27.8%List $/SF ↓ 2.3%Mar 24 → Jan 26

Santa Cruz vs Similar Cities

Source: Census ACS / Redfin (2023)

Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Santa Cruz is highlighted.

Median Home Value

99th%ilemost expensive$1,180,100show rank

Median Rent

96th%ilemost expensive rent$2,302show rank

Median Price Per Sq Ft

96th%ilemost expensive $/sqft$595show rank

Rent Burden

84th%ilehighest rent burden24.8%show rank

Census Housing Data

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)

Median Home Value

$1,180,100

Median Rent

$2,302

Total Housing Units

23,778

Vacancy Rate

8.9%

Owner Occupied

47.7%

Renter Occupied

52.3%

Median Property Tax

$6,609

per year

Monthly Cost (w/ Mortgage)

$2,718

Housing Types

Single Family

65.5%

Multi-Family

32.3%

Mobile Home

2.2%

The current median sale price in Santa Cruz, CA is $1,050,750 according to Redfin data. Homes spend a median of 31 days on the market. 14.3% of homes sold above asking price. The market has 3.1 months of supply. The median price per square foot is $595. Zillow's observed rent index is $3,530/month. About 47.7% of housing units are owner-occupied. The median year homes were built is 1970. There are 23,778 total housing units.