What income do you need to buy a house in Santa Cruz, CA?
It takes about $349,000/yr to afford the typical Santa Cruz, CA home ($1.36M, +5.0% past year) at today's rates. Starter homes run around $965K. See if you can afford a house in Santa Cruz (2026 data) — free, no signup.
Market snapshot (2026-07)
- Income needed to buy the typical home: about $349,000/yr (28% front-end ratio, 20% down, 6.76% 30-yr fixed, CA property tax and insurance)
- Typical home value: $1.36M (Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07)
- 1-year change: +5.0%
- Bottom 35% of homes: $965K
- Top 35% of homes start around: $1.90M
- Typical rent: $3,560/mo
- Median household income: $115K
- Price-to-income ratio: 11.8
- Estimated payment on the typical home: $7,066/mo principal & interest (20% down, 6.76% 30-yr fixed)
Nearby housing markets
The most affordable cities to buy a house in California
Home values are Zillow Group public data (ZHVI, updated monthly); income and population are US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates. Estimates only — not financial advice.
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