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Average Rent in Santa Cruz, CA & Rent Trends

What is the average studio rent in Santa Cruz, CA?

The average listed studio apartment rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $2,916 per month, as of November 15, 2026. This sample includes 34 priced apartments in 5 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from November 9, 2026 through November 15, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 5 apartment communities in Santa Cruz, CA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas
Santa Cruz 95060 95062
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed

Showing studio in Santa Cruz, CA.

Market Average

$2,916/mo

Lowest Available

$2,300/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

5

tracked daily

Units Listed

34

available now

Is Rent Going Up or Down in Santa Cruz, CA?

As of November 2026, the average rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $2,916 per month across 5 apartment communities and 34 available units.

The most affordable option is Cypress Point Apartments starting at $2,300/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $2,916/mo.

Prices range from $2,300 to $3,465 per month. The most common price point is the $3,000 range, where 11 units are currently listed.

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in Santa Cruz, CA

Studio
$2,916
from $2,300 · 34 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in Santa Cruz, CA

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Cypress Point Apartments $2,300/mo $2,658/mo 13 3.4
The Breakers $2,350/mo $2,400/mo 2 3.9
Anton Pacific $2,951/mo $3,053/mo 13 4.5
Nanda on Pacific $3,200/mo $3,200/mo 1 3.5
RiverRow $3,275/mo $3,379/mo 5 4.8

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in Santa Cruz, CA

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Studio

What is the average studio rent in Santa Cruz, CA?
The average listed studio apartment rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $2,916 per month, as of November 15, 2026. This sample includes 34 priced apartments in 5 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in Santa Cruz, CA?
The studio apartment listings we track in Santa Cruz, CA range from $2,300 to $3,465 per month, as of November 15, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in Santa Cruz, CA?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for studio apartment listings in Santa Cruz, CA. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. The chart uses recorded prices for studio apartments with a known unit identity. It averages those prices within each building before comparing buildings. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a studio apartment in Santa Cruz, CA?
Studio apartments average $2,916 per month across 34 priced listings in Santa Cruz, CA. Listed rents range from $2,300 to $3,465 per month, as of November 15, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in Santa Cruz, CA?
Cypress Point Apartments has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $2,300 per month. We track 13 priced listings matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of November 15, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in Santa Cruz, CA?
The $3,000 to $3,200 monthly range has the most matching listings: 11 units, or 32.4% of the priced apartments we track in Santa Cruz, CA. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in Santa Cruz, CA?
We track 34 priced units at 5 apartment buildings, as of November 15, 2026. These are studio apartments. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for Santa Cruz, CA?
We do not yet have enough accepted price records to draw a history chart for studio apartment listings in Santa Cruz, CA. Current asking prices can appear before rent history is ready. We do not fill missing history with zero or with prices for a different bedroom count.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in Santa Cruz, CA?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ / senior community and Corporate housing and Military / active duty housing and Veteran housing. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the Santa Cruz, CA rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was November 15, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in Santa Cruz, CA?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$117,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $2,916/mo.

Comfortable income

$140,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($2,300/mo), you need to earn at least $92,000/year.

Median household income in Santa Cruz, CA is $111,427 , about 20% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore Santa Cruz, CA Apartments

Browse all 5 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in Santa Cruz, CA

Overall prices in Santa Cruz, CA runs above the national average by about 13% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 112.8, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Santa Cruz, CA's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $2,916
Utilities $753
Groceries $567
Transportation $1,794
Healthcare $875
Other goods and services $1,400
Estimated total $8,304/mo

Population

60,953

Median household income

$111,427

Census median rent

$2,302/mo

Census rent burden

32.6%

Median age

30.7

Mean commute

23 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
California Rent Trends
Compare rent across all California cities
Explore Santa Cruz, CA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how Santa Cruz, CA rents stack up against the national median

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