Watsonville

Population: 51,968
Median household income: $74,785
Median home value: $657,700

Watsonville, a community in Santa Cruz County, California, has 51,968 residents. At $74,785, its median household income sits below Santa Cruz County's $109,266.

From 2019 to 2023, Watsonville's population declined 3.4% from 53,800 to 51,968, while its median home value rose 41.7% from $464,200 to $657,700.

The typical home was built around 1976. 15.1% of residents live below the poverty line.

Demographics

ACS 2019–2023

Population: 51,968
Median age: 32.7 yrs
Median household income: $74,785
Median home value: $657,700
Median gross rent: $1,784
Housing units: 15,792
Homeownership rate: 43.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 12.7%
Unemployment rate: 7.9%

Trends

ACS 5-year · 2019–2023

Population

53,80051,968

Median household income

$55,470$74,785

Median home value

$464,200$657,700

Median gross rent

$1,409$1,784

Year	Population	Median household income	Median home value	Median gross rent
2019	53,800	$55,470	$464,200	$1,409
2020	52,398	$61,496	$500,300	$1,502
2021	52,966	$67,007	$542,900	$1,613
2022	52,457	$72,295	$630,100	$1,733
2023	51,968	$74,785	$657,700	$1,784

Each year is a US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate ending that year.

Age distribution

Under 57.1%

5 to 1722.7%

18 to 2410.3%

25 to 3412.1%

35 to 4412.3%

45 to 5412.3%

55 to 6410.7%

65 to 747.6%

75 and over4.8%

	Count	Share
Under 5	3,690	7.1%
5 to 17	11,807	22.7%
18 to 24	5,362	10.3%
25 to 34	6,300	12.1%
35 to 44	6,388	12.3%
45 to 54	6,416	12.3%
55 to 64	5,563	10.7%
65 to 74	3,937	7.6%
75 and over	2,505	4.8%

Race & ethnicity

	Count	Share
White (non-Hispanic)	6,275	12.1%
Black or African American	215	0.4%
American Indian & Alaska Native	39	0.1%
Asian	1,086	2.1%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Some other race	339	0.7%
Two or more races	640	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	43,374	83.5%

Educational attainment (age 25+)

No high school diploma34.5%

High school graduate24.7%

Some college or associate's28.1%

Bachelor's degree8.5%

Graduate or professional degree4.2%

	Count	Share
No high school diploma	10,739	34.5%
High school graduate	7,670	24.7%
Some college or associate's	8,741	28.1%
Bachelor's degree	2,642	8.5%
Graduate or professional degree	1,317	4.2%

Commute to work

Mean travel time to work: 27 min

Drove alone70.1%

Carpooled16.7%

Public transit1.4%

Walked1.4%

Bicycle0.0%

Worked from home6.1%

Other means4.4%

How workers get to work

	Count	Share
Drove alone	14,956	70.1%
Carpooled	3,556	16.7%
Public transit	302	1.4%
Walked	294	1.4%
Bicycle	6	0.0%
Worked from home	1,292	6.1%
Other means	941	4.4%

Travel time

	Count	Share
Under 15 min	5,678	28.3%
15 to 29 min	6,471	32.3%
30 to 44 min	4,399	21.9%
45 to 59 min	1,556	7.8%
60+ min	1,951	9.7%

Households

Average household size: 3.35
Poverty rate: 15.1% (7,804 of 51,525)

	Count	Share
Family households	11,623	76.1%
Nonfamily households	3,644	23.9%

Housing

Median year structure built: 1976

Occupancy

	Count	Share
Occupied	15,267	96.7%
Vacant	525	3.3%

Tenure (of occupied units)

	Count	Share
Owner-occupied	6,657	43.6%
Renter-occupied	8,610	56.4%

1-unit, detached54.4%

1-unit, attached8.3%

2 to 4 units8.2%

5 to 19 units9.6%

20 or more units13.7%

Mobile home & other5.9%

Units in structure

	Count	Share
1-unit, detached	8,589	54.4%
1-unit, attached	1,313	8.3%
2 to 4 units	1,288	8.2%
5 to 19 units	1,516	9.6%
20 or more units	2,159	13.7%
Mobile home & other	927	5.9%

Geography

Place GEOID: 0683668
Type (LSAD): 25
Land area: 6.79 sq mi
Water area: 0.1 sq mi
Center point: 36.9236, -121.7724