What HUD offices serve Santa Cruz County, California?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the California Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Santa Cruz County.
How many renters live in Santa Cruz County, California?
The County of Santa Cruz County has people living in households.
There are renters living in renter households in this County. Renters make up 36.89 percent of the population living in Santa Cruz County.
What is the rental market like in Santa Cruz County, California?
There are an estimated housing units in the Santa Cruz County area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Santa Cruz County, California, there are 1.05 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Santa Cruz County?
The rental vacancy rate in Santa Cruz County is 4 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Santa Cruz County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Santa Cruz County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,199 | 7,886 | 15,442 | 7,418 | 1,775 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Santa Cruz County
A large number of apartments in Santa Cruz County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How Much Is Rent in Santa Cruz County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,849 to $5,504. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $2,849 |
| One BR | $3,085 |
| Two BR | $4,054 |
| Three BR | $5,000 |
| Four BR | $5,504 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Santa Cruz County, California
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Santa Cruz County?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 2,601 | 62 percent |
| One BR | 3,410 | 43 percent |
| Two BR | 3,039 | 20 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Santa Cruz County, California
How many affordable rental units are in Santa Cruz County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Santa Cruz County, California including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | |
| Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance | |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | |
| USDA Section 514 Farm Labor Housing |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Santa Cruz County, California
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County features 1,630 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Santa Cruz County, California
There are 2,386 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Santa Cruz County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Santa Cruz County, California
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Santa Cruz County landlords $1,300 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $600 towards rent in Santa Cruz County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Santa Cruz County, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $3,649 and $4,459.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.