Photo: Don DeBold from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0299 homes sold in Santa Cruz in the last year, at a typical $1.4M
About one sale in 4 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Santa Cruz homes are listed.
Every place Santa Cruz homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Santa Cruz.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
16% of Santa Cruz’s sales are condos, at $761K less than a house
216 houses and 50 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 216 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $976CA $494
- Days to sell
- 21
- Sold over asking
- 44%
- Listings with a price cut
- 44%
typical sale · 50 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $725CA $561
- Days to sell
- 47
- Sold over asking
- 20%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 18 sold, typical $1.5M
Townhouses: 30 sold, typical $933K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
299 sales in the last year, against 522 in 2013 and a low of 278 in 2023. The typical sale went from $803K in 2016 to $1.4M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $1.4M buys in Santa Cruz
Check a listing against what Santa Cruz homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Santa Cruz are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 42% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Santa Cruz’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 299 sales.
If you’re buying in Santa Cruz
- Shop in March. It brings about 45 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (48% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100.9% of the list price on average; 38% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
July has the most new listings (about 52 a month), but April is the most competitive: 57% of April sales close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (48%). February has the least competition (34%) but only about 30 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like California as a whole
| Santa Cruz now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 38% | 38% | 65% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 51% | 39% | 64% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100.9% | 100% | 106.3% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 21 | 47 | 26 | 43 |
54 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.2 times the 2022 low (46), 42% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 109.
Since 2019, houses are up 55%, condos 31%
A house typically sold for $1.5M in the year to May 2026 (216 sales), a condo for $746K (50).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Santa Cruz ranks 235th of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Santa Cruz is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Santa Cruz home costs about $7,764 a month
Price: Santa Cruz’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Santa Cruz’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Santa Cruz is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in July
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 14.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $1.4M home, about $7,650 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Santa Cruz, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Santa CruzTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Santa Cruz.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Soquel, Felton and Scotts Valley sell for less a square foot; Pleasure Point for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Santa Cruz, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | 299 | $1.4M | $913 | 38% | 21 |
| Scotts Valley | 120 | $1.2M | $645 | 24% | 30 |
| Capitola | 101 | $1.3M | $961 | 21% | 33 |
| Soquel | 69 | $1.3M | $713 | 33% | 92 |
| Twin Lakes | 43 | $1.6M | $1,060 | 24% | 32 |
| Felton | 38 | $974K | $674 | 34% | 56 |
| Pleasure Point | 32 | $3.2M | $1,630 | 21% | 35 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Santa Cruz, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Santa Cruz. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Santa Cruz with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Santa Cruz
What do homes sell for in Santa Cruz, CA?
299 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $1.4M, $913 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.5M, condos for about $746K in the year to May 2026.
Is Santa Cruz a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 80 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 25 sold, about 3.1 months of supply. Buyers paid 100.9% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Santa Cruz?
July brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Santa Cruz?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $1.4M home that’s near $7,650.
Where can I see homes for sale in Santa Cruz?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Santa Cruz’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Santa Cruz.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).