Data through September 2026 · updated 2026-11-07 · free, from Zillow, Realtor.com, the Census Bureau and other public sources
Typical home value$1,136,154+4.8% YoY · prices are rising fast
Market right nowBalanced marketMore homes for sale than last year, 22% have cut their price
Income needed to buy, per year$246,294About 2.3× the local median income ($105,437): hard to afford
Days on market58 daysAbout the same pace as a year ago
Next 12 months+0.3%Zillow expects prices to stay about flat
The typical home in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is worth $1,136,154, up 4.8% from a year ago. That is slightly above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $1,055,743, so the area is 7.6% overvalued. It is a balanced market: homes take about 58 days to sell, listings are up 0% from a year ago, 22% of listings have had a price cut. Zillow expects prices to rise about 0.3% over the next year. A household needs about $246,294 a year to afford the typical home here at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $105,437. Typical rent is $3,469 a month, or $4,321 for a house. In the latest IRS figures, 2,053 more people moved out than in.
Home value over time
Solid: typical home value · dashed: fair value (household income × the 20-year average price-to-income ratio). Sources: FHFA, Zillow, U.S. Census Bureau.
Prices and affordability
Typical home value
$1,136,154
Change in 1 year
+4.8%
Overvalued %
+7.6%
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Fair home value
$1,055,743
Change in 5 years
+11.9%
Zillow forecast, next 12 months
+0.3%
Home value to income
10.8×
Monthly mortgage payment (20% down)
$6,157
Income needed to afford it
$246,294
Property tax rate
0.64%
Rent and investing
Typical rent
$3,469
Typical rent for houses
$4,321
Price-to-rent ratio
27.3×
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HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedrooms
$4,254
Gross rental yield
3.66%
Cap rate (estimate)
2.38%
Market activity
Listings vs a year ago
+0.4%
Days on market
58
Listings with a price cut
22.3%
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Homes for sale
509
Pending sales per 100 listings
30
Asking price per sq ft
$706
People and jobs
Median household income
$105,437
Population change (1 year)
−1.0%
Unemployment rate
6.1%
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Population
258,852
Income adjusted for cost of living
$95,939
Net moves in (IRS)
−2,053
Cost of living (US = 100)
109.9
Schools, risk and environment
School rating (1 to 10)
5.7
FEMA hazard risk score (0 to 100)
97.8
Unhealthy air days a year
0
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Flood risk score
96.2
Wildfire risk score
97.3
Walkability (1 to 20)
12.0
Road, rail and air noise
55 dB
Questions people ask
Is Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA overvalued?
Home prices in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA are slightly above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $1,055,743, so the area is 7.6% overvalued.
Is Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA a buyer's or seller's market?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is a balanced market: homes take about 58 days to sell, listings are up 0% from a year ago, 22% of listings have had a price cut.
Are home prices going down in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
Home values in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA are up 4.8% over the last year. Zillow's forecast for the next 12 months is +0.3%.
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
A household needs about $246,294 a year to afford the typical home in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $105,437.