Apartments for Rent in Santa Cruz, CA

Prices and availability in Santa Cruz, CA were last updated on 9 Nov 2026.

The best apartments in Santa Cruz, CA are: Hidden Creek Apartments, Cypress Point, Cormorant Court Apartments, The Sands and River Row.

The average rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $3,551.

The price range for a studio apartment in Santa Cruz, CA is between $2,250 and $3,465.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Cruz, CA is between $2,250 and $4,235.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Cruz, CA is between $2,350 and $7,500.

In Santa Cruz 52% of the housing is rented out compared to 48% of homes are owned, according to the most recent Census Bureau estimates. 12% of Santa Cruz's apartments are found in large buildings of 50 units or more, 55% are located in smaller apartment complexes with less than 50 units, and 32% are single-family rentals.

The age and size of multifamily buildings are among the most visible characteristics of the rental market in a city. In this case, the apartment buildings in Santa Cruz are about 35 years old, on average. Of these, 36% have been built since 2000, representing the newer options on the market and typically offering more amenities. Rental buildings in the city have an average height of 4 stories. About 88% of the rental communities here are low-rise, garden-style communities, 16% are mid-rises, and none are high-rise buildings. These are true especially for large-scale multifamily buildings with over 50 apartments.

Rental apartments in Santa Cruz come in a range of sizes and floorplans. Studio apartments represent 11% of units for rent, ideal for singles, renters on a budget and people who value central locations more than space. Rentals with 1-bedroom floorplans make up 45% of the total apartments in the city, while 2-bedroom floorplans represent around 35% of all rentals in Santa Cruz. The rest are larger floorplans with 3 bedrooms or more, typically preferred by families, larger households or roommates sharing space.