Santa Cruz County Demographics

A map of Santa Cruz County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	142,831	145,551	53.9%	53.7%
Hispanic	93,346	94,299	35.2%	34.8%
Asian	12,345	12,072	4.7%	4.5%
Multiracial	11,963	13,310	4.5%	4.9%
Native American/Other	2,529	2,779	1.0%	1.0%
Black	1,912	2,850	0.7%	1.1%

Santa Cruz County, California has an estimated population of 264,926, a slight decrease from the 270,861 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 53.9% White, 35.2% Hispanic, 4.7% Asian, 4.5% Multiracial, 1.0% Native American/Other, and 0.7% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Santa Cruz County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Santa Cruz is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Santa Cruz County, that probability was 58.5% in 2020 and 58.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Santa Cruz County is ranked the 25th most populous county in California, out of 58 counties. Santa Cruz County was ranked the 25th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Santa Cruz County's White Population

142,831 residents of Santa Cruz County, or 53.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Santa Cruz County is significantly higher than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. Santa Cruz County ranks 27th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Cruz County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.9%. White residents' share of Santa Cruz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 53.9%.

Santa Cruz County is more White than neighboring Santa Clara County (27.2% White), San Mateo County (34.7% White), Alameda County (27.4% White), Contra Costa County (38.1% White), and San Francisco County (36.8% White).

Santa Cruz County's Black Population

1,912 residents of Santa Cruz County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Santa Cruz County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Santa Cruz County ranks 41st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Cruz County's Black population has declined by an estimated 32.9%. Black residents' share of Santa Cruz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Santa Cruz County is less Black than neighboring Santa Clara County (2.2% Black), San Mateo County (2% Black), Alameda County (9.3% Black), Contra Costa County (7.9% Black), and San Francisco County (4.7% Black).

Santa Cruz County's Asian Population

12,345 residents of Santa Cruz County, or 4.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Santa Cruz County is considerably lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. Santa Cruz County ranks 31st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Cruz County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 2.3%. Asian residents' share of Santa Cruz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.7%.

Santa Cruz County is less Asian than neighboring Santa Clara County (40.3% Asian), San Mateo County (31% Asian), Alameda County (32.7% Asian), Contra Costa County (18.6% Asian), and San Francisco County (34.9% Asian).

Santa Cruz County's Hispanic Population

93,346 residents of Santa Cruz County, or 35.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Santa Cruz County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. Santa Cruz County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Cruz County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 1.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Santa Cruz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 35.2%.

Santa Cruz County is more Hispanic than neighboring Santa Clara County (25% Hispanic), San Mateo County (24.9% Hispanic), Alameda County (23.4% Hispanic), Contra Costa County (27.6% Hispanic), and San Francisco County (16.2% Hispanic).

Santa Cruz County's Native American/Other Population

2,529 residents of Santa Cruz County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Santa Cruz County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Santa Cruz County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Cruz County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 9.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Santa Cruz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Santa Cruz County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Santa Clara County (1.1% Native American/Other), San Mateo County (2.1% Native American/Other), Alameda County (1.6% Native American/Other), Contra Costa County (1.4% Native American/Other), and San Francisco County (1.3% Native American/Other).

Santa Cruz County's Multiracial Population

11,963 residents of Santa Cruz County, or 4.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Santa Cruz County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Santa Cruz County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Santa Cruz County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 10.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Santa Cruz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.5%.

Santa Cruz County is more Multiracial than neighboring Santa Clara County (4.2% Multiracial). Santa Cruz County is less Multiracial than neighboring San Mateo County (5.2% Multiracial), Alameda County (5.6% Multiracial), Contra Costa County (6.3% Multiracial), and San Francisco County (6.1% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.