Rent in Santa Cruz, CA: Prices & Apartments for Rent
As of October 17, 2026, the median asking rent for a 1-bedroom in Santa Cruz, CA is $2,400/month, based on 47 active listings on Redfin, Zillow and ApartmentHomeLiving. 2-bedroom: $3,450 (35 listings).
That is 20% above the California 1-bedroom median of about $2,000. Nearby, the 1-bedroom median ranges from $2,155 in Monterey to $2,300 in San Jose.
Updated · 518 listings. Prices are advertised asking rents; check availability on the original listing. How we calculate
Open the Santa Cruz rental mapMedian rent in Santa Cruz
From listings with a single price and a single bedroom count. Fewer than 20 such listings and we leave the figure out.
- Studio
- —
- 10 listings
- 1 bedroom
- $2,400
- 47 listings
- 2 bedrooms
- $3,450
- 35 listings
- 3+ bedrooms
- $5,000
- 39 listings
Rentals in Santa Cruz
See all 518 on the map →
Blue Bell Apartments
120 Trinity St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
$2,250 · Studio · 353 sqft
610 Pacific Ave Unit 5
610 Pacific Ave Unit 5, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
$2,495 · 1 bd
204 Highview Dr
204 Highview Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
$2,800 · 2 bd · 500 sqft
1325A Laurel St
1325A Laurel St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
$3,000 · 1 bd · 635 sqft
510 Lincoln St
510 Lincoln St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
$3,395 · 1 bd · 726 sqft
Capitola Townhomes
754 Capitola Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
$3,595 – $3,695 · 2 bd · 800 sqft
1970 17th Ave Unit A
1970 17th Ave Unit A, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
$4,200 · 3 bd
Renting in Santa Cruz: common questions
- What is the median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Cruz, CA?
- As of October 17, 2026, the median asking rent for a 1-bedroom in Santa Cruz, CA is $2,400 per month, based on 47 listings with a single price. A 2-bedroom has a median of $3,450.
- How many rentals are available in Santa Cruz, CA?
- 518 rentals are listed in Santa Cruz, CA on Redfin, Zillow and ApartmentHomeLiving as of October 17, 2026, after removing listings that appear on more than one site.
- How are these rent prices calculated?
- We collect active listings from Redfin, Zillow and ApartmentHomeLiving, remove duplicates across sites, and take the median of asking rents for listings with one price and one bedroom count. If fewer than 20 listings qualify for a bedroom size, we leave that figure out. Read the full methodology
- How much income do I need to rent in Santa Cruz, CA?
- Many landlords ask for gross income of at least 3 times the monthly rent. For a median 1-bedroom at $2,400/month, that is about $7,200 a month, or $86,400 a year.
- What is the cheapest city near Santa Cruz, CA to rent in?
- Among nearby cities we track, Monterey, CA has the lowest median 1-bedroom rent at $2,155/month, $245 less than Santa Cruz.
Rent in cities near Santa Cruz
- Capitola, CA70 · 4 mi
- Aptos, CA70 · 6 mi
- Watsonville, CA171 · 15 mi
- Los Gatos, CA253 · 18 mi
- Campbell, CA382 · 22 mi
- Morgan Hill, CA138 · 23 mi
- Marina, CA103 · 23 mi
- Cupertino, CA207 · 24 mi
- San Jose, CA1BR $2,300 · 4,514 · 25 mi
- Gilroy, CA227 · 25 mi
- Pacific Grove, CA110 · 25 mi
- Monterey, CA1BR $2,155 · 299 · 26 mi
All cities in California · Cheapest places to rent in California · Embed this data