Santa Cruz County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. In the original act, the county was given the name of "Branciforte" after theSpanishpueblo founded there in 1797. A major watercourse in the county,Branciforte Creek, still bears this name. Less than two months later, on April 5, 1850,[8] the name was changed to "Santa Cruz" ("Holy Cross").
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 607 square miles (1,570 km2), of which 445 square miles (1,150 km2) is land and 162 square miles (420 km2) (27%) is water.[9] It is the second-smallest county in California by land area and third-smallest by total area. Of California's counties, onlySan Francisco is smaller by land area.
The county is situated on a wide coastline with over 29 miles (47 km) of beaches.[10] It is a strip about 10 miles (16 km) wide between the coast and the crest of theSanta Cruz Mountains at the northern end of theMonterey Bay. It can be divided roughly into four regions: the rugged "north coast"; the urbanCity of Santa Cruz,Soquel,Capitola, andAptos; mountainousBonny Doon,San Lorenzo River Valley; and the fertile "south county", includingWatsonville andCorralitos. Agriculture is concentrated in the coastal lowlands of the county's northern and southern ends. Most of the north coastal land comprises relatively flat terraces that end at steep cliffs like those shown in the photo below.
Historically,tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) were native to the coastal grasslands of Santa Cruz County. Elk, sometimes confused withbison, were initially described byMiguel Costansó in his diary of the 1769Portola Expedition near the mouth of thePajaro River both on the way north on October 6, and on the way south on November 25.[25] Later, elk were also described by nineteenth century American hunters.[26] They were also described in Santa Cruz County by Jlli tribeletAwaswas Ohlone people, who utilized elk along withpronghorn (Antilocapra americana) and lived on the Jarro Coast (El Jarro Point is north ofDavenport, California).[27][28] Additionally, there is a "Cañada del Ciervo" (ciervo is Spanish forelk) close to the boundary betweenRancho de los Corralitos andRancho San Andrés, near the present-day Larkin Valley Road. This "Elk Valley" place name was given by José Antonio Robles who rode down, roped, and killed elk there in 1831.[29][30] Lastly, elk remains dating from the Middle and Late Periods in Northern California were found in at least four lateHolocene archeological sites in Santa Cruz County, all coastal: SCR-9 (Bonny Doon site) and SCR-20 (Brown site) on the western slope ofBen Lomond Mountain, SCR-93 (Sunflower site) a coastal terrace on the north shore of theSan Lorenzo River inSanta Cruz, and SCR-132 (Scott Creek site) 4 miles inland.[31]
Pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) remains were found at the SCR-20 (Brown site) on the western slope of Ben Lomond Mountain dating to about 1500 A.D.[31]
Counties and bodies of water adjacent to Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County borders four other counties:San Mateo to the northwest,Santa Clara to the north and east,Monterey to the south, andSan Benito with a small border to the south.
Santa Cruz County, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The county of Santa Cruz has experienced demographic fluctuations in recent history. Between 1990 and 2000, the population increased by 11.3%. This is primarily because of new births, rather than immigration or migration.[53]
As of thecensus[55] of 2000, there were 255,602 people, 91,139 households, and 57,144 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 574 people per square mile (222 people/km2). There were 98,873 housing units at an average density of 222 units per square mile (86 units/km2).
There were 91,139 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% weremarried couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,998, and the median income for a family was $61,941. Males had a median income of $46,291 versus $33,514 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $26,396. About 6.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Santa Cruz County residents tend to be well-educated. 38.3% of residents age 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree at least, significantly higher than the national average of 27.2% and the state average of 29.5%.[56][57]
Santa Cruz County was a Republican stronghold for most of the 19th and 20th centuries; from 1860 through 1980 the only Democrats to carry Santa Cruz wereWoodrow Wilson in 1916,Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936,Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, andJimmy Carter in 1976.[58] However, the opening of UCSC in 1965 caused the county's political landscape to dramatically change.
Crime rates vary throughout Santa Cruz County. The cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville are the highest crime regions, where the 34:1000 and 38:1000 per-capita crime victimization rates are worse than around 90% of the rest of California. The rest of the county has lower instances of crime, although the crime rate remains above average for California. Scotts Valley, Felton, and Ben Lomond have the lowest per capita crime victimization rates, at around 28:1000 people.[63]
Noteworthy crime issues in Santa Cruz County include gang crime, and issues stemming from the large transient population. Over a dozen Norteno or Sureno affiliated criminal street gangs operate throughout Santa Cruz County.[64] The county also has the highest homeless population per capita in the state, with the county government's 2024 point-in-time homelessness census estimating the homeless make up just under 2% of the county population.[65][66]
Local law enforcement agencies include the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, the Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, and Capitola Police Departments, University of Santa Cruz Police, State Parks Rangers and Game Wardens, and the California Highway Patrol. The Sheriff's Office runs two jail facilities in the county; a maximum-security jail in Santa Cruz city and a minimum-security jail outside Watsonville.[67]
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense:
In the 19th century, Santa Cruz's economy was based on milling lumber, making lime cement from limestone, and tanning leather. By the mid 19th century, Santa Cruz was the second largest manufacturing area in the state. As natural resources depleted, tourism became the more important economic sector in the area.[71]
In 1989, Santa Cruz was named as a surplus labor area by the U.S. Department of Labor.[72] A surplus labor area has an unemployment rate 20% higher than national unemployment. As of 2024, Watsonville city was still on this list.[73]
10% of jobs in Santa Cruz County are food producing/processing jobs. These employees make less than an average of $10 an hour.[53]
As of 2003, 21% of residents work outside of Santa Cruz County. This is down form the 28% outside employment rate of 1989.[53]
The agriculture businesses are significant enough to be prominent in local politics, where they influence issues of water, pesticide use, and labor.[53]
There are mandated living wages for Santa Cruz county, and individually in the cities of Watsonville and Santa Cruz. These occurred after The Santa Cruz Living Wage Coalition campaigned to set up ordinances.[53]
The low wage sector of Santa Cruz experiences workplace abuse. Data from 2015 show that in the county, 38% of Agricultural workers have experienced overtime pay violation, 14% of tipped workers reported tips stolen by their employers, and 50% of service sector workers reported violations on receiving breaks. It is California law for employers to make written workplace policies available. However, in a county wide survey, 30% of workers reported that they did not receive an employee handbook.[74]
Service sector laborers have a resource for navigating labor law through the Economic Justice Alliance of Santa Cruz County, a local organization that educates community members on issues of "sustainable wages and working conditions."[75]
In 2002, theNational Association of Realtors reported that Santa Cruz was the most unaffordable place to live in the United States.[53] This statement remains true with 2017 data that shows that Santa Cruz is the least affordable county for renters.[76]
In Santa Cruz County, 60% of residents rent and a median monthly rent is $3000. UCSC's No Place Like Home Project reports that in Santa Cruz County, 2.5 minimum wage jobs would be needed to afford renting a 2 bedroom apartment. UCSC's "No Place Like Home" project identifies four main rental markets: agricultural workers, UCSC students, Silicon Valley tech workers, and short term vacation rentals. Short term rentals in particular have been a rising concern to local politicians, who have proposed parking restrictions to discourage short term renters.[77]
Rent control has been attempted as a policy in Santa Cruz three times between the 1970s and 1980s, but it never passed. National policies since the 1980s have deregulated rental markets, which decreased the rights of tenants and exacerbated frustrations for renters all across the country as well as in Santa Cruz.[76]
27% of surveyed Santa Cruz County renters experience "overcrowding" in their homes, which is described as when there is more than one person per room of a house, which includes all rooms not just bedrooms.[76]
One of the constraints on Santa Cruz's development are environmental protections. The restrictions on land prevent development from responding to housing and employment demands, which is an issue particularly politically relevant in the Watsonville jurisdiction. This conflict between residents wanting to protect the environment and those wanting more housing is also racially divided, as most residents favoring environmental protection are white, while the population on the side of developing housing is more heavily Latino.[53] A 2010–2011 report by a Santa Cruz County grand jury states that Watsonville had no policy for assessing environmental hazards, and would give out land use and building permits without any investigations of the environmental conditions of the land in question.[78]
One of the housing solutions that residents have resorted to is the occupation of accessory dwelling units. Commonly known as "mother-in-law" units, these secondary housing spaces on residential property used to be illegal to build. In 2002, Santa Cruz leaders changed the law and encouraged construction with affordable mortgages. The goal was to containurban sprawl while still finding housing alternatives for residents in light of the crisis that was exacerbated by UCSC growth and Silicon Valley encroachment.[79]
Debates about land use in Santa Cruz were particularly important after the1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, which destroyed the central business district of Santa Cruz and led to the loss of an estimated 2,000 jobs.[71]
Already contentious debates about land were present in the area due to its large tourism industry and the relatively new UCSC campus, but after the quake both private interests and public servants had a stake in how rebuilding would go. This led to a necessary compromise, a public-private partnership that debated the how to rebuild the pacific garden mall space, with considerations of green space, timely implementation, and supporting local business and economy. Many constituents felt left out of this process, and reported that the political elite and economic elite were monopolizing control over the rebuilding movement.[71]
^"Species Profile Zayante band-winged grasshopper". US Fish and Wildlife Service.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^Miguel Costanso and Frederick J. Teggart (1911). "The Portola Expedition of 1769-1770. Diary of Miguel Costanso".Publications of the Academy of Pacific Coast History.2 (4).
^Evermann (April 1915). "An Attempt to Save California Elk".California Fish and Game.1 (3): 89.
^E. S. Harrison (1892).The History of Santa Cruz County. San Francisco, California: Pacific Press Publishing Company. p. 48.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abcdefghiU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001.U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003.U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003.U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301.U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013.U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113.U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^abcdefgManuel, Pastor Jr.; Benner, Chris; Rosner, Rachel (May 2003). "An "option for the poor": A research audit for community-based regionalism in California's central coast".Economic Development Quarterly.17 (2).
^abcGendron, Richard Arthur (1998).Faultlines of power: The political economy of redevelopment in a progressive city after a natural disaster (Thesis).ProQuest304420788.
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