Apartments in Santa Cruz

1 - 30 of 88 Results

26

3D Tour

Chestnut Street Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,674 - 4,492

Chestnut Street

Deal

143 Chestnut St Santa Cruz, CA

1 - 2 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Virtual Tour

Luxury

Townhome

25

2-1163 E Cliff Dr Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$3,995

2-1163 E Cliff Dr

Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

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Furnished

Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Balcony/Deck/Patio

Dishwasher

74

Hidden Creek Apartments Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,750 - 3,895

Hidden Creek Apartments

Deal

200 Button St Santa Cruz, CA

1 - 2 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Covered Parking

Pool

Market Street

1

531 Dufour St Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$3,800

531 Dufour St

Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Apr. 25, 2025

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Dog Friendly

Storage

West King Street

1

121 Sylvar St Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,400

121 Sylvar St

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Storage

Lower Ocean

18

157 Franklin St Unit 26 Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,250

157 Franklin St Unit 26

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

Contact

Balcony/Deck/Patio

Ocean Street

5

114-116 Maple St - 116 Maple St Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,195

114-116 Maple St - 116 Maple St

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

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Lower Ocean

11

1901 Portola Dr Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,595

1901 Portola Dr

Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

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Cat Friendly

Storage

17

1200 Capitola RD Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$4,163

1200 Capitola RD

Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

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Cat Friendly

House

13

Emerald Bay Apartments Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$3,381

Emerald Bay Apartments

2500 Soquel Dr Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

14

6045 Thurber Ln Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$4,500

6045 Thurber Ln

Santa Cruz, CA

3 BR | Ask for Availability

Contact

Cat Friendly

House

In Unit Laundry

Balcony/Deck/Patio

Dishwasher

21

Fresh And Clean 2 Bedroom Apartment Near Main Beach! Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,750

Fresh And Clean 2 Bedroom Apartment Near Main Beach!

42 Campbell St Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Ask for Availability

Contact

Beach Flats

7

234 Felix St Unit 6 Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,250

234 Felix St Unit 6

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Balcony/Deck/Patio

Storage

Neary Lagoon

1

High St. Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$4,250

High St.

404 High St Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Storage

Lower Ocean

1

One Bedroom Condo Close To Downtown Santa Cruz! Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,900

One Bedroom Condo Close To Downtown Santa Cruz!

212 Everson Dr Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Apr. 10, 2025

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House

Balcony/Deck/Patio

Storage

Dishwasher

Pool

17

324 Lincoln St Unit 14 Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,250

324 Lincoln St Unit 14

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

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Lower Ocean

12

104 Vista Prieta Ct Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,200

104 Vista Prieta Ct

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Ask for Availability

Contact

House

In Unit Laundry

Dishwasher

1

35th Ave Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$4,595

35th Ave

909-929 35Th Ave Santa Cruz, CA

3 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Dishwasher

10

703 3rd St Unit 8 Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$2,150

703 3rd St Unit 8

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

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Cat Friendly

Dishwasher

Beach Flats

1

Monthly 30+ Vacation Rental In The Heart Santa Cruz, Newly Remodeled And Beautiful! Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$8,500

Monthly 30+ Vacation Rental In The Heart Santa Cruz, Newly Remodeled And Beautiful!

3035 Calla Dr Santa Cruz, CA

3 BR | Available Now

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House

Storage

Disability Access

Dishwasher

9

221 Vista Bella Dr Unit A Apartment for rent in Santa Cruz, CA

$3,400

221 Vista Bella Dr Unit A

Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

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Dog Friendly

Cat Friendly

Balcony/Deck/Patio

7

$2,500

708 Riverside Ave Unit D

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

Contact

Beach Flats

26

$2

Ride The Wave To Your Next Business Venture! 🌊🏄‍♂️

3110 Mission Dr Santa Cruz, CA

Studio | Ask for Availability

Contact

House

7

$3,200

238 San Lorenzo Blvd

Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

Contact

Beach Flats

1

$3,150

2br/1ba Cute Condo Close To Downtown And Hwy 17!

250 River St #421 Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Apr. 1, 2025

Contact

Dog Friendly

Surface Parking

Balcony/Deck/Patio

Storage

Lower Ocean

1

$2,195

114-116 Maple St

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Available Now

Contact

Cat Friendly

Storage

Lower Ocean

21

$3,400

Ride The Wave To Your Dream Rental!

4209 Portola Dr Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Ask for Availability

Contact

House

25

$4,950

1786 Felt St

Santa Cruz, CA

4 BR | Apr. 1, 2025

Contact

House

6

$3,200

924 30th Ave Unit C

Santa Cruz, CA

2 BR | Available Now

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Lower Ocean

9

$2,850

211 Plateau Ave

Santa Cruz, CA

1 BR | Apr. 1, 2025

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Dog Friendly

House

Storage

1 - 30 of 88 Results

Home
Santa Cruz

Find a Santa Cruz Apartment

With only 60,000 people, Santa Cruz is a small city by California standards. It is a well-known liberal city, and is a popular haven for those who prefer to live what other communities might dub alternative lifestyles. The most important local educational institution is the University of California, Santa Cruz. This school has an annual enrolment that approaches 18,000 students.

Santa Cruz enjoys some of the most phenomenal weather in the country. It enjoys year round moderate temperatures, with the rainy season coming during the winter months. Miles of beautiful coastline and the nearby redwood forests make Santa Cruz rich with natural beauty, something that the locals make a point of enjoying at every opportunity.

When to Search

Santa Cruz doesn't really have a bad time to apply for apartments. There are also enough rental apartments to go around at any given time. A good suggestion is to just give yourself between six and eight weeks no matter what time of the year you decide to apply at. This should give you ample time to find an apartment.

Staying in the Know

Santa Cruz landlords are used to dealing with high-income earners that work for the numerous tech companies in the area. Asking for a credit check and proof of employment or income is something that you may have to contend with. If you're unable to meet the rental requirements on your own, ask if you can apply with a consignor on the lease, or if you can apply collectively with roommates for an apartment.

Life in Santa Cruz

Transportation

The Santa Cruz Metro public transportation service is actually one of the better in California. It provides excellent connections between the University and downtown. Cycling is also very popular, however the mountains in the area can pose a pretty serious cycling challenge to those who aren't physically fit.

Where to play

The Beach Boardwalk is a popular Santa Cruz hangout. You can get out on the Boardwalk for free, and the rides are a few dollars apiece. Watersports like surfing, sailing and kayaking are very popular, and the local mountains provide a very popular playground for mountain bikers. Pacific Avenue is the place to go for nightlife, where you can find both upscale bars and lowly pubs.

Neighborhoods

Natural Bridges

Prospect Heights

Search Cities Near Santa Cruz, CA

Scotts Valley, CA

Felton Lompico, CA

La Selva Beach, CA

Boulder Creek, CA

Watsonville, CA

Monte Sereno, CA

Morgan Hill, CA

Campuses Nearby

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz:
March Rent Report

Welcome to the March 2025 Santa Cruz Apartment Report. In this assessment of the local rental market, Rentable data scientists and rental experts break down the March 2025 key findings and figures for the Santa Cruz rental landscape.

Our experts analyze the pricing trends — one-bedroom, two-bedroom, year-over-year and month-over-month — in Santa Cruz and surrounding areas and provide comparisons to the entire metro area, nearby cities and some of the most desirable and expensive cities in the United States. Take a look at the last 12 months of Santa Cruz average rent prices in the chart below.

Monthly Rent Report

$3,700

$2,780

$1,850

$930

$0

Apr. 2024

May. 2024

Jun. 2024

Jul. 2024

Aug. 2024

Sep. 2024

Oct. 2024

Nov. 2024

Dec. 2024

Jan. 2025

Feb. 2025

Mar. 2025

1 BR 2 BR

Santa Cruz Rent Prices Decrease From February to March

Santa Cruz rent prices decreased over the last month. From February to March, the city experienced a -0.16% decrease for the price of a one-bedroom apartment. The rent price for a Santa Cruz one-bedroom apartments currently stands at $2,501.0.

When we take a look at the two-bedroom comparison from February to March, Santa Cruz experienced a 0.31% increase for the price of a two-bedroom apartment. The rent price for a Santa Cruz two-bedroom apartments currently stands at $3,527.0.

March Prices: Santa Cruz vs. Surrounding Areas

Capitola, CA

Santa Cruz, CA

Aptos, CA

Watsonville, CA

$2,513

$2,505

$2,150

$2,128

$0

$850

$1,700

$2,550

$3,400

Median 1 BR Rent

Rent Prices in Santa Cruz and Surrounding Areas

Rent prices have decreased in Santa Cruz over the last month. But how have the surrounding areas fared when it comes to the recent volatility in apartment prices? Rent prices in 0 of the Santa Cruz suburbs increased last month. On the other hand, 3 local areas experienced a decrease in the price of a one-bedroom apartment.

More key findings include:

Rents did not increase in any of the Santa Cruz suburbs
Rent decreased in Watsonville, CA, Capitola, CA, Aptos, CA.
1 suburb is currently priced higher than the city of Santa Cruz.
2 suburbs are currently priced lower than the city of Santa Cruz.

March 2025 Pricing Trends: Santa Cruz vs. National Comparisons

New York, NY

San Francisco, CA

Santa Cruz, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Washington, DC

Chicago, IL

Columbus, OH

Minneapolis, MN

Pittsburgh, PA

$4,076

$3,129

$2,505

$2,387

$2,328

$1,905

$1,262

$1,247

$1,197

$0

$1,350

$2,700

$4,050

$5,400

Median Rent

Santa Cruz Rent Prices More Affordable Than Major Cities

Rent growth in Santa Cruz over the past year has been declining. When compared to major cities nearby, along with some of the most expensive cities in the country, Santa Cruz average rent prices appear to be relatively affordable for local residents.

The price for a Santa Cruz one-bedroom apartment remains vastly more affordable than four of the largest cities in the United States — New York City, Washington, D.C. San Francisco and Los Angeles. And pricing compares quite similarly to nearby Midwest cities.

For more information about Santa Cruz and surrounding area rent prices, take a look at the complete data set below.

Data set for Santa Cruz and suburbs

	1 BR March	1 BR M/M % Change	2 BR March	2 BR M/M % Change
Santa Cruz, CA	$2,505.0	-0.36%	$3,516.0	0.34%
Watsonville, CA	$2,128.0	-0.61%	$2,862.0	-3.57%
Capitola, CA	$2,513.0	-2.37%	$3,174.0	1.99%
Aptos, CA	$2,150.0	-0.97%	$3,496.0	-0.03%

Methodology

Each month, using over 1 million Rentable listings across the United States, we calculate the median 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rent prices by city, state, and nation, and track the month-over-month percent change. To avoid small sample sizes, we restrict the analysis for our reports to cities meeting minimum population and property count thresholds.