Buying Property in Santa Cruz County as a Foreigner
Federal & California tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest market news.
Santa Cruz County aggregates verified prices, gross rental yield and FEMA hazard risk across its citys. Figures below are area averages — use the index to drill into any city.
Every city in Santa Cruz County, ranked by price, yield, hazard risk, liquidity and schools. Click any row to drill down.
| Name | Median $ | Yield | Risk | Liquidity | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CapitolaCity | $1,529,546 | 2.7% | 52 | 17 | 44 |
| FreedomHood | $804,761 | 4.8% | 70 | 31 | 4 |
| Highland EastHood | $1,599,525 | 3.1% | 70 | 19 | 96 |
| Los Barrancos de AptosHood | $804,761 | 4.8% | 78 | 31 | 4 |
| Santa CruzCity | $1,470,753 | 3.0% | 61 | 26 | 52 |
| Scotts ValleyCity | $1,339,602 | 3.7% | 77 | 21 | 87 |
| Upper HighlandsHood | $804,761 | 4.8% | 73 | 31 | 4 |
| WatsonvilleCity | $804,761 | 4.8% | 57 | 31 | 4 |
Jump to a neighboring county to compare markets.
FEMA National Risk Index across eight hazards.
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 25.6 | 4.9 | -8.9% |
| 2023 | 28.3 | 5.1 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 28.6 | 5.0 | +8.0% |
| 2021 | 26.5 |
Federal & California tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest market news.
| 4.8 |
| +1.9% |
| 2020 | 25.8 | 4.4 | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 27.8 | 4.4 | — |
