Profile of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz relies primarily on its agriculture, tourism, high technology and educational industries, the latter of which pertains to the University of California, Santa Cruz, a premier research institution and educational hub.

According to a 2016 survey released by the Santa Cruz County Small Business Council, the most pressing issues of concern for local business are traffic congestion and housing affordability. This same survey illustrated an overall level of business confidence regarding the years ahead, suggesting that the Santa Cruz business community has made leaps and bounds in the last 8 years in recovering from the 2008 recession.

Job Growth: 2.7%                              
Unemployment: 7.4% (National Rate: 5%)
​Work Force: 148,100 
Median Household Income: $70,963
​Household Income Growth: 2.4%
High School Attainment: 86.8%
College Attainment: 38.9%
Cost of Living: 30.5% (Above the National Average)
Average Commute: 26 minutes


To read more about the information summarized check out these links:
Forbes
State of California Employment Development Department
​Santa Cruz Sentinal

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Santa Cruz County Census Data
​Population Estimate (2015) - 274,146
Population Census (2010) - 262,382
Housing Units (2015) - 105,530
Housing Units (2010) - 104,476
Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units (2010-2014) - $559,500
Median Monthly Owner Costs (2010-2014)
       With Mortgage $2,641
       Without Mortgage $546
Median Gross Rent (2010-2014) - $1427
Households (2010-2014) - 94,219
Persons per Household (2010-2014) - 2.72
Median Household Income (2010-2014/in 2014 dollars) - $66,923
Percentage of Persons in Poverty - 16.1%
Population per Square Mile (2010) - 589.4
​Santa Cruz City Census Data
​Population Estimate (2015) - 64,220
Population Census (2010) - 59,946
Housing Units (2010) - 23,316
Median Value of Owner Occupied Housing Units (2010-2014) - $645,600
​Median Monthly Owner Costs (2010-2014)
      With Mortgage $2,657
      Without Mortgage $546
Median Gross Rent (2010-2014) - $1,547
Households (2010-2014) - 21,015
Persons per Household (2010-2014) - 2.55
Median Household Income (2010-2014/in 2014 dollars) - $61,533
Percentage of Persons in Poverty - 24.3%
Population per Square Mile - 4,705.3
Watsonville City Census Data
​Population Estimate (2015) - 53,628
Population Census (2010) - 51,628
Housing Units (2010) - 14,089
Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units (2010-2014) - $325,500
Median Monthly Owner Costs (2010-2014)
       With Mortgage $2,093
       Without Mortgage $434
Median Gross Rent (2010-2014) - $1,203
Households (2010-2014) - 14,148
Persons per Household (2010-2014) - 3.65
Median Household Income (2010-2014/in 2014 dollars) - $46,691
Percentage of Persons in Poverty - 20.6%
Population per Square Mile (2010) - 7,656.5