San Jose metro, CA relocation guide
Moving to Santa Cruz, CA
$1,209,000Median home value
Santa CruzArea
Commuter-friendlyCommute profile
About Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is a beach city of about 62,000 at the north end of Monterey Bay, home to the University of California, Santa Cruz and the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Housing mixes Victorian-era homes, beach cottages, and newer apartments and condos, with prices reflecting strong coastal demand. The city blends surf culture, a lively downtown, and a university-town economy.
Home prices in Santa Cruz
The median home value in Santa Cruz is $1,209,000.
Top places in Santa Cruz
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk — historic seaside amusement park
- Santa Cruz Wharf — fishing, dining, and sea-lion viewing
- Downtown Santa Cruz (Pacific Avenue) — shops, restaurants, and theaters
- West Cliff Drive — scenic coastal path along the surf breaks
- Natural Bridges State Beach — tide pools and monarch butterflies
- UC Santa Cruz — redwood-forested hilltop campus
- Santa Cruz Harbor — marina and waterfront dining
Commuting from Santa Cruz
- San Jose ~35-40 minutes via Highway 17
- Highway 1 connects to Monterey (~45 min) and Half Moon Bay (~1 hr)
- San Jose International Airport ~40 minutes; SFO ~75 minutes
- No commuter rail; Santa Cruz Metro regional buses
Santa Cruz FAQs
- What is the housing market like in Santa Cruz, CA?
The median home value in Santa Cruz is $1,209,000. Median home value, 2020–2024 American Community Survey (owner-estimated) - How is the commute from Santa Cruz, CA?
San Jose ~35-40 minutes via Highway 17
Town links
Schools
Transit
Official town resources. School report cards via the National Center for Education Statistics.