Santa Cruz County (), officially the County of Santa Cruz, is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,861. The county seat is the city of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz County comprises the Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA metropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA combined statistical area. The county is on the California Central Coast, south of the San Francisco Bay Area region. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay, with Monterey County forming the southern coast.
History 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 the Spanish pueblo 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, the name was changed to "Santa Cruz" ("Holy Cross").
Mission Santa Cruz, established in 1791 and completed in 1794, was destroyed by the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, but a smaller-scale replica was erected in 1931.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (27%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in California by land area and third-smallest by total area. Of California's counties, only San Francisco is smaller by land area.
The county is situated on a wide coastline with over of beaches. It is a strip about wide between the coast and the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains at the northern end of the Monterey Bay. It can be divided roughly into four regions: the rugged "north coast"; the urban City of Santa Cruz, Soquel, Capitola, and Aptos; mountainous Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo River Valley; and the fertile "south county", including Watsonville and Corralitos. 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.
Flora and fauna Santa Cruz County is home to the following threatened or endangered species:
California clapper rail – endangered (1970) California red-legged frog – threatened (1996) California tiger salamander – Central California DPS, threatened (2004) Coho salmon – Central California Coast ESU is endangered (2005) Marbled murrelet – threatened (1992) Mount Hermon June beetle – endangered (1997) Ohlone tiger beetle – endangered (2001) San Francisco garter snake – endangered (1967) Santa Cruz long-toed salamander – endangered (1967) Santa Cruz tarweed – threatened (2000) Smith's blue butterfly – endangered (1976) Southern sea otter – threatened (1977) Steelhead – Central California Coast DPS is threatened (2011) Tidewater goby – endangered (1994) Western snowy plover – threatened (1993) Yellow-billed cuckoo – threatened (2014) Zayante band-winged grasshopper – endangered (1997)
Historically, tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) were native to the coastal grasslands of Santa Cruz County. Elk, sometimes confused with bison, were initially described by Miguel Costansó in his diary of the 1769 Portola Expedition near the mouth of the Pajaro River both on the way north on October 6, and on the way south on November 25. Later, elk were also described by nineteenth century American hunters. They were also described in Santa Cruz County by Jlli tribelet Awaswas Ohlone people, who utilized elk along with pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) and lived on the Jarro Coast (El Jarro Point is north of Davenport, California). Additionally, there is a "Cañada del Ciervo" (ciervo is Spanish for elk) close to the boundary between Rancho de los Corralitos and Rancho 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. Lastly, elk remains dating from the Middle and Late Periods in Northern California were found in at least four late Holocene archeological sites in Santa Cruz County, all coastal: SCR-9 (Bonny Doon site) and SCR-20 (Brown site) on the western slope of Ben Lomond Mountain, SCR-93 (Sunflower site) a coastal terrace on the north shore of the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, and SCR-132 (Scott Creek site) 4 miles inland.
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.
Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area, Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area and Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve are marine protected areas off the coast of Santa Cruz County. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.
Adjacent counties Santa Cruz County borders four other counties: San Mateo to the northwest, Santa Clara to the north and east, Monterey to the south, and San Benito with a small border to the south.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 270,861. The median age was 40.2 years, with 18.9% of residents under the age of 18 and 18.2% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.5 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 59.3% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 19.2% from some other race, and 14.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 34.8% of the population.
There were 96,261 households in the county, of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 106,345 housing units, of which 9.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 58.2% were owner-occupied and 41.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%.
86.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 13.3% lived in rural areas.
Racial and ethnic composition +Santa Cruz County, California – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)151,715171,203167,464156,397145,55180.64%74.52%65.52%59.61%53.74%Black or African American alone (NH)1,3962,3302,1602,3042,8500.74%1.01%0.85%0.88%1.05%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1,5151,3101,1809788530.81%0.57%0.46%0.37%0.31%Asian alone (NH)4,9857,6908,46410,65812,0722.65%3.35%3.31%4.06%4.46%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census311292277xx0.12%0.11%0.10%Other race alone (NH)8824048586121,6490.47%0.18%0.34%0.23%0.61%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census6,6797,04913,310xx2.61%2.69%4.91%Hispanic or Latino (any race)27,64846,79768,48684,09294,29914.70%20.37%26.79%32.05%34.81%Total188,141229,734255,602262,382270,861 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2010 census 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.
The 2010 United States census reported Santa Cruz County had a population of 262,382. The racial makeup of Santa Cruz County was 190,208 (72.5%) White, 2,766 (1.1%) African American, 2,253 (0.9%) Native American, 11,112 (4.2%) Asian, 349 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 43,376 (16.5%) from other races, and 12,318 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 84,092 persons (32.0%).
Population reported at 2010 United States census Santa Cruz County262,382190,2082,7662,25311,11234943,37612,31884,092 Capitola9,9187,96312359424108694701,957Santa Cruz59,94644,6611,0714404,5911085,6733,40211,624Scotts Valley11,5809,95810157590182925641,158Watsonville51,19922,3993586291,6644023,8442,26541,656 Amesti3,4781,88912418911,3091372,273Aptos6,2205,42058432478175269611Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley2,3811,93612555129577541Ben Lomond6,2345,6923251701198280515Bonny Doon2,6782,4749155154876168Boulder Creek4,9234,4295431815119204366Brookdale1,9911,7909121986687202Corralitos2,3261,980161248119079532Davenport408272651208231172Day Valley3,4092,8982023854208171470Felton4,0573,6912529691160172283Freedom3,0701,452443110001,2851582,170Interlaken7,3213,8565812830222,5734025,261La Selva Beach2,8432,39927231163146129372Live Oak17,15812,636240171773412,4448534,796Lompico1,1371,0056122142564115Mount Hermon1,03796463141183183Pajaro Dunes14492006045154Paradise Park38937123304615Pasatiempo1,04192556341224885Pleasure Point5,8464,847634514455062361,140Rio del Mar9,2168,31061503137188287899Seacliff3,2672,75828401004189148482Soquel9,6447,8988571356216935201,606Twin Lakes4,9173,900706112685342181,109Zayante70564710640182057 All others not CDPs (combined)23,89920,696155151605211,3589133,320
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 255,602 people, 91,139 households, and 57,144 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 98,873 housing units at an average density of .
There were 91,139 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married 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. The per capita income for the county was $26,396. About 6.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty 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%.
Government Santa Cruz County is a general-law county governed by a five member Board of Supervisors. The board consists of five members, elected by districts, who serve four-year staggered terms.
Politics 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 were Woodrow Wilson in 1916, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and Jimmy Carter in 1976.Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868–2004, pp. 152–155 However, the opening of UCSC in 1965 caused the county's political landscape to dramatically change.
Today, it is a strongly Democratic county in presidential and congressional elections. The last Republican to carry the county was Ronald Reagan in 1980, and the last Republican to win a majority in the county was Richard Nixon in 1968.