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 2024Jan131,600121,8009,8007.4
More Areas  Historical Data   Get More Info (Data Library)



Employment by Industry (Not Seasonally Adjusted)[Top]
Year
Time Period
CES
Industry Title
No. of
Employed
2024JanTotal Wage and Salary102,900
2024JanTotal Nonfarm99,700
2024Jan Service-Providing86,900
2024JanTotal Private80,000
2024JanPrivate Service Providing67,200
More  Historical Data   Get More Info (Data Library)

Occupations with Fastest Job Growth (% change)[Top]
OccupationEstimated Year -
Projected Year
Employment
Employment Change
Estimated ProjectedNumberPercent
Nurse Practitioners2018 - 202860903050.0
Sales and Related Workers, All Other2018 - 2028901304044.4
Personal Financial Advisors2018 - 2028701003042.9
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists2018 - 2028701003042.9
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers2018 - 2028701003042.9
More   Get More Info (Data Library)  

Projections of Employment by Industry
 
High Wage Occupations[Top]
OccupationYearTime PeriodHourly
Mean
Hourly by Percentile
25thMedian75th
Psychiatrists20231st Qtr$142.31$0.00$0.00$0.00
Physicians, All Other20231st Qtr$124.86$0.00$0.00$0.00
Family Medicine Physicians20231st Qtr$121.86$0.00$0.00$0.00
Chief Executives20231st Qtr$117.80$60.88$0.00$0.00
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates20231st Qtr$109.26$0.00$0.00$0.00
More   Get More Info (Data Library)

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 2022Annual127$15,172,365
Single Family 2022Annual350$75,522,277
Total all types construction permits 2022Annual477$90,694,642
 Historical Data  

Consumer Price Index (US BLS & Calif. DIR)[Top]
AreaConsumer Price Index % Change
Time Period2022Time Period2021
United States Annual292.7Annual271.08.0
California Annual319.2Annual297.47.3
 Historical Data   Get More Info (Data Library)

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
2022AnnualMedian Price of Homes Sold$1,306,250
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 2021Annual$431,363
Bank and Corporation (Income) Taxes 2021Annual$45,297,548
Cigarette Tax 2021Annual$1,831,959
Horse Racing (Parimutuel) License Fees 2021Annual$19,150
Estate, Inheritance and Gift Taxes 2021Annual$0
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
2022AnnualRetail $4,846,272,318
More Areas  Historical Data  


POPULATION AND CENSUS DATA
Population[Top]
Area
Year
Time Period
Source
Population
Santa Cruz County 2021AnnualCalifornia Dept of Finance263,445
More Areas  Historical Data   Get More Info (Data Library)

Measures of Income[Top]
Income Type
Year
Time Period
Income
Population
Per Capita Personal Income - BEA2021Annual$85,554263,445
Total Personal Income - BEA2021Annual$22,910,773263,445
More Areas  Historical Data   Get More Info (Data Library)

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
Western SeminaryOther (incl. religious schools and seminaries)Los Gatos,CA
Watsonville - Aptos Adult SchoolSchools with Occupational Programs (ROP)Watsonville,CA
Cabrillo CollegeCommunity Colleges (two-year school)Aptos,CA
Santa Cruz County Regional Occupational ProgramSchools with Occupational Programs (ROP)Capitola,CA
University of California, Santa CruzUniversity or College (four-year school)Santa Cruz,CA
More


Related Links
View Employers By Occupation
View Employers By Industry
Local Area Comparisons