Bedroom count
Property type
Last updated on August 1, 2026
Average rent in
Santa Cruz, CA
Average rent in
Last updated on August 1, 2026
Bedroom count
Property type
Key takeaways for renters
The bottom line
Santa Cruz, CA rent slipped 4.8% year over year, with a current median of $3,500/month. Renters today are paying $149 less per month on average than last year, while month-to-month rent is essentially flat.
Vs. national rents
Santa Cruz runs roughly 1.8× the $1,930/month national median, placing it among pricier coastal metros.
Price ranges
Studios in Santa Cruz rent for $2,395/month, 1-bedrooms for $2,645/month, and 2-bedrooms for $3,670/month, with 3-bedrooms at $4,700/month and 4+ bedrooms reaching $8,450/month. This range reflects the diversity of unit sizes available to renters.
Neighborhood spotlight
Downtown Santa Cruz rents rose 25.4% year over year to $3,700/month across 16 rentals, contrasting with the citywide decline. Beach Hill also saw a 10.3% increase to $3,859/month, while Westside cooled by 14.0% to $3,550/month, showing varied neighborhood trends.
Median rent
Median rent in Santa Cruz
$3,500/mo
5%vs previous year
The average rent in Santa Cruz is $3,500 per month as of July 2026. This is 81% above the national average rent, or $1,570 more per month.
average price per square foot
Total rentals
Available rentals in Santa Cruz
82
for rent on Zumper.com as of July 2026
Rent price distribution
Share of Santa Cruz rentals at each price point
Rent trends in Santa Cruz, CA
Average rent prices in Santa Cruz have remained the same over the last month and have decreased by 5% since last year.
Rent trends
Rent prices on this page are calculated on a rolling 30-day basis and updated daily.
Compare rent prices in
Santa Cruz, CA
Rent prices in Santa Cruz vary by bedroom size, rental type, and neighborhood. The average rent for an apartment in Santa Cruz is $3,100, whereas a house costs $4,250. 1-bedroom apartments in Santa Cruz run $2,600 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $3,600.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studio | $2,395 | 6% |  24% | |
1 bedroom | $2,645 | No Change | 6% | |
2 bedroom | $3,670 | 2% | 1% | |
3 bedroom | $4,700 | 8% | 1% | |
4 bedroom | $8,450 | 1% | 83% |
Listings | ||
|---|---|---|
Beach Hill | $3,859 | |
Downtown Santa Cruz | $3,700 | |
Eastside | $3,400 | |
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | $3,400 | |
Westside | $3,550 |
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apartments | $3,100 | 1% | No Change | |
Condos | $3,597 | 3% | No Change | |
Houses | $4,250 | 8% | No Change |
Studio
Average rent
$2,395
Last 30 days
6%
Last year
24%
1 bedroom
Average rent
$2,645
Last 30 days
No Change
Last year
6%
2 bedroom
Average rent
$3,670
Last 30 days
2%
Last year
1%
3 bedroom
Average rent
$4,700
Last 30 days
8%
Last year
1%
4 bedroom
Average rent
$8,450
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
83%
Westside
Average rent
$3,550
Eastside
Average rent
$3,400
Downtown Santa Cruz
Average rent
$3,700
Beach Hill
Average rent
$3,859
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Average rent
$3,400
Apartments
Average rent
$3,100
Last 30 days
1%
Condos
Average rent
$3,597
Last 30 days
3%
Houses
Average rent
$4,250
Last 30 days
8%
The table above reflects average rent prices in Santa Cruz, CA, broken down by the number of bedrooms, neighborhoods, and property types. The availability of data for each category is dependent on market inventory and will adjust depending on your selected filters.
How does rent in Santa Cruz, CA compare to other cities?
Compare median rent prices in Santa Cruz and Aptos by all bedroom counts and property types.
Santa Cruz
81%higher than the national median
65%higher than the national median
Takeaway
The median rent for all rentals in Santa Cruz, CA is 10% higher than the median rent in Aptos, CA.
Average rent in nearby cities
Explore rent trends in neighboring markets
$3,175
19%$3,224
5%$3,325
13%$3,097
15%$3,270
18%$3,368
9%$3,545
9%$3,520
2%$4,000
23%$3,400
1%$3,789
10%$2,950
Discover rentals in Santa Cruz, CA
5d+ ago
House for rent in Santa Cruz
1744 Foster Ct, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
5 beds
2.5 baths
$1,200
House for rent
Available Jul 1
3d ago
514 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1 bed
2 baths
$1,295–$1,695
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz
2 beds
1 bath
$2,495
Apartment for rent
Available Jul 2
4h ago
Westside apartment for rent in Santa Cruz
2 beds
1 bath
$2,695
Apartment for rent
Available Jul 31
5d+ ago
Westside condo for rent in Santa Cruz
3 beds
2 baths
$7,400
Condo for rent
5d+ ago
House for rent in Santa Cruz
2 beds
2 baths
$4,400
House for rent
5d+ ago
Westside condo for rent in Santa Cruz
1 bed
1 bath
$2,950
Condo for rent
10h ago
Verified
143 Chestnut St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$2,937–$4,249
Apartment for rent
13h ago
Verified
200 Button St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1–2 beds
1 bath
$2,000–$3,875
Apartment for rent
23h ago
House for rent in Santa Cruz
901 River St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1 bed
1.5 baths
$2,495
House for rent
2m ago
1240 Shaffer Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$3,527–$4,842
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
3 beds
2.5 baths
$4,995
House for rent
Available Jul 22
10h ago
Verified
143 Chestnut St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$2,937–$4,249
Apartment for rent
2d ago
147 Market St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
2 beds
1 bath
$3,649
Apartment for rent
13h ago
Verified
200 Button St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1–2 beds
1 bath
$2,000–$3,875
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
House for rent in Santa Cruz
4 beds
2.5 baths
$5,895
House for rent
38m ago
1630 Merrill St, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
2–3 beds
2 baths
$3,911–$4,744
Price drop
Apartment for rent
Available Aug 1
4h ago
Westside apartment for rent in Santa Cruz
2 beds
1 bath
$2,695
Apartment for rent
Available Jul 31
Stay up to date with rental market insights
Are you interested in licensing our current and historical rental real estate data, or do you have custom data requests? Contact datalicensing@zumper.com.
Frequently asked questions for Santa Cruz, CA
Quick answers to common questions about the Santa Cruz rental market.
How much is rent in Santa Cruz?
The average rent in Santa Cruz is $3,500 per month as of July 25, 2026.
Is rent up or down in Santa Cruz?
Average rent prices in Santa Cruz have remained the same over the last month and have decreased by 5% since last year.
How does Santa Cruz rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Santa Cruz is 81% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $1,570 more per month.
Which neighborhoods are most affordable in Santa Cruz?
The most affordable neighborhoods in Santa Cruz are Eastside ($3,400/mo), Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk ($3,400/mo), and Westside ($3,550/mo).
What salary do I need to afford rent in Santa Cruz?
To comfortably afford rent in Santa Cruz, you'd need to earn approximately $140,000/year, based on spending no more than 30% of your income on rent.
When is the best time of year to rent in Santa Cruz?
Based on Zumper's July 2026 data, one-bedroom apartments in Santa Cruz average around $2,660/month and two-bedrooms approximately $3,670/month, both relatively stable year over year.
Methodology
Rent prices are based on Zumper's rental listings from the past 30 days. Median rent is calculated across all available listings and property types on the platform. If you filter the page by bedroom count or property type, the pricing throughout the page will update automatically to reflect that segment of the rental market.
Household and population data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data is sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index (COLI).