Income & Economy in Santa Cruz, CA
Household income, poverty rates, employment, and economic data — 2023 ACS Data
Income Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Median Household Income
$111,427
+52% vs national
Per Capita Income
$54,688
+47% vs national
Poverty Rate
17.6%
+30% vs national
Gini Index
0.5073
0 = perfect equality
Unemployment
6.3%
+21% vs national
SNAP Recipients
10.4%
of households
How Santa Cruz Compares
Source: Census ACS (2023)Santa Cruz vs Similar Cities
Source: Census ACS (2023)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Santa Cruz is highlighted.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Where Do You Stack Up?
Enter your household income to see how you compare to other households in Santa Cruz. The median household income here is $111,427.
Income Distribution
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Employment Snapshot
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Unemployment Rate
6.3%
-17% vs CA avg
Labor Force
33,751
Employed
31,615
Mean Commute
18 min
How People Get to Work
Source: Census ACS (2023)Employment by Sector
Source: Census ACS (2023)Education & Workforce
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Bachelor's Degree+
33.5%
of adults 25+
High School Diploma+
39.5%
of adults 25+
Median Age
30.7
Work from Home
19.3%
of workers
The median household income in Santa Cruz, CA is $111,427, which is 52.2% above the national average of $73,224. Per capita income is $54,688. The poverty rate of 17.6% is higher than the CA state average of 13.0%. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.5073, where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 represents maximum inequality. The unemployment rate is 6.3%, compared to the state average of 7.6%. 33.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The average commute time is 18 minutes, with 19.3% working from home.