Santa Cruz County Profile

 
About this area:
 Santa Cruz is located along the north side of Monterey Bay on the central coast of California. Surrounding counties include San Mateo to the north, Santa Clara to the east, and Monterey to the south. Mild weather, natural beauty, a major university, and proximity to the Silicon Valley contribute to the economic opportunities as well as the quality of life in the county. With an abundance of coastline, accessible beaches, and nearby mountains, Santa Cruz County is a popular vacation and recreation area.
EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES
Unemployment Rate and Labor Force (Not Seasonally Adjusted)[Top]
Area
Year
Time Period
Labor Force
No. of
Employed
No. of
Unemployed
Unemployment Rate
Santa Cruz County 2025Dec137,400128,6008,8006.4
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Occupations with Fastest Job Growth (% change)[Top]
OccupationEstimated Year -
Projected Year
Employment
 Employment Change
Estimated ProjectedNumberPercent
Nurse Practitioners2022 - 203216026010062.5
Religious Workers, All Other2022 - 203240602050.0
Physician Assistants2022 - 20321101605045.5
Opticians, Dispensing2022 - 203250702040.0
Occupational/Physical Therapist Assistants/Aides2022 - 20321001404040.0
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High Wage Occupations[Top]
OccupationYearTime PeriodHourly
Mean		Hourly by Percentile
25thMedian75th
Physicians, All Other20241st Qtr$149.71$0.00$0.00$0.00
Family Medicine Physicians20241st Qtr$120.94$0.00$0.00$0.00
Chief Executives20241st Qtr$120.00$64.69$0.00$0.00
Pediatricians, General20241st Qtr$110.57$0.00$0.00$0.00
Dentists, General20241st Qtr$103.90$0.00$0.00$0.00
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Data for Santa Cruz County is not available. Data for Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA has been displayed for High Wage Occupations
 
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
Building Permits (US Census Bureau)[Top]
Type of Permit
Year
Time Period
No. of Permits
Total Costs
Multi-Family 2024Annual42$10,369,593
Single Family 2024Annual143$36,685,104
Total all types construction permits 2024Annual185$47,054,697
 Historical Data  

Consumer Price Index (US BLS & Calif. DIR)[Top]
AreaConsumer Price Index % Change
Time Period2024Time Period2023
United States Annual313.7Annual300.72.9
California Annual342.0Annual331.83.1
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Data for Santa Cruz County is not available. Data for California has been displayed for Consumer Price Index (US BLS & Calif. DIR)
 
Median Price of Existing Homes Sold[Top]
Year
Time Period
Type
Median Price
United States Annual313.7$301
California Annual342.0$332
More Areas  Historical Data   Data from the California Association of Realtors

State Revenues by Source[Top]
Tax Type Description
Year
Time Period
Tax Revenue
Alcoholic Beverage Taxes and Fees 2023Annual$418,350
Bank and Corporation (Income) Taxes 2023Annual$34,317,908
Cigarette Tax 2023Annual$1,380,995
Estate, Inheritance and Gift Taxes 2023Annual$0
Horse Racing (Parimutuel) License Fees 2023Annual$20,741
More Areas  Historical Data  

Data for Santa Cruz County is not available. Data for California has been displayed for State Revenues by Source
 
Taxable Sales (Calif. Board of Equalization)[Top]
Year
Time Period
Sales Type Description
Sales
Alcoholic Beverage Taxes and Fees Annual2023$418,350
Bank and Corporation (Income) Taxes Annual2023$34,317,908
Cigarette Tax Annual2023$1,380,995
Estate, Inheritance and Gift Taxes Annual2023$0
Horse Racing (Parimutuel) License Fees Annual2023$20,741
More Areas  Historical Data  

POPULATION AND CENSUS DATA
Population[Top]
Area
Year
Time Period
Source
Population
Santa Cruz County 2023AnnualCalifornia Dept of Finance263,775
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Measures of Income[Top]
Income Type
Year
Time Period
Income
Population
Per Capita Personal Income - BEA2023Annual$88,581263,775
Total Personal Income - BEA2023Annual$23,168,187263,775
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County-to-County Commute Patterns (US Census Bureau)[Top]
Year
Time Period
Area of Residence
Area of WorkPlace
Number of Workers
2020CensusSanta Cruz County , CASanta Cruz County , CA103,431
2020CensusSanta Cruz County , CASanta Clara County , CA17,622
2020CensusMonterey County , CASanta Cruz County , CA10,252
2020CensusSanta Cruz County , CAMonterey County , CA6,078
2020CensusSanta Clara County , CASanta Cruz County , CA4,052
More  Historical Data  

JOB OPENINGS & TRAINING PROVIDERS
Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange[Top]
 
Job Openings

Training Providers in Area[Top]
Provider Name
Provider Type
Location
Emergency Training Services, Inc.Schools with Occupational Programs (ROP)Santa Cruz,CA
The Spot! Computer Software Training InsApprenticeship, Business, Career, & Tech SchoolsWatsonville,CA
United Flight ServicesApprenticeship, Business, Career, & Tech SchoolsWatsonville,CA
Shoreline Occupational Services/GoodwillSchools with Occupational Programs (ROP)Santa Cruz,CA
Watsonville - Aptos Adult SchoolSchools with Occupational Programs (ROP)Watsonville,CA
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