How many people live in the Santa Cruz, CA area?
Updated Mar. 4, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024 there were 262,400 people in the Santa Cruz, CA area. That makes the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan statistical area the 192nd-most populous metro area in the US. It is home to 0.08% of the nation's population.
262K
population of Santa Cruz, CA area (2024)
0.08%
Santa Cruz, CA area share of US population (2024)
Between 2010 and 2024, the population of the Santa Cruz, CA area decreased from 263,200 to 262,400—a 0.29% decrease. During that same period, the US population grew 9.9%.
About 262,400 people lived in the Santa Cruz, CA area in 2024.
Population estimates of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Metro Area, 2010–2024
What are the age demographics of the Santa Cruz, CA area?
About 20.3% of the Santa Cruz, CA area's population in 2024 was aged 65 years or older, higher than the 18% share in the nation overall. Children (under 18) account for 17.6% of the Santa Cruz, CA area population, below the 21.6% population share of children nationwide.
A higher share of the Santa Cruz, CA area population is 65 and older than the US overall.
Population share by age group in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Metro Area and the US overall (2024)
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of the Santa Cruz, CA area?
Hispanic residents make up 35.5% of the Santa Cruz, CA area population, higher than the national share of 20%.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
A higher share of the Santa Cruz, CA area population is Hispanic than the US overall.
Population share by race and ethnicity in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Metro Area and the US overall (2024)
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
