Housing decision brief
Santa Cruz County, AZ Housing Market
Santa Cruz County screens as a higher purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
8th lowest home value out of 15 Arizona counties with data | 4th lowest rent out of 15
Median home value
$216,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$781/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$955/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
27.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$174/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$781/mo is 21% below Arizona county median
Rent burden below pressure line
27.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
Lower income base
$53,614 median income is 11% below Arizona county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.64% effective property-tax rate is 19% above Arizona county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 36.3 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Santa Cruz County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $216,100 | $216,100 | $281,900 | Near state medianAt the Arizona county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $781 | $983 | $1,163 | 21% favorable21% below Arizona county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $955 | $851 | $1,672 | 12% pressure12% above Arizona county median |
Median household income | $53,614 | $60,417 | $74,755 | 11% pressure11% below Arizona county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.64% | 0.54% | 1.02% | 19% pressure19% above Arizona county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 27.00% | 28.00% | N/A | Near state median27.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$22,374
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$12,685
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Santa Cruz County is affordable. The median rent is $781/month against a median household income of $53,614, putting rent at 17.5% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Santa Cruz County pay $781/month on average, compared to $955/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 18%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,240/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $40,929/year. With a median household income of $53,614, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 27.0% of renter households in Santa Cruz County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Arizona, Santa Cruz County is less affordable than Navajo County by roughly 6% ($781/mo vs $832/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navajo County, AZ | $186,100 | $832/mo | Same-state comparison near $186,100 home value and $832/mo rent. |
| Cochise County, AZ | $207,400 | $939/mo | Same-state comparison near $207,400 home value and $939/mo rent. |
| Brewster County, TX | $216,000 | $768/mo | Out-of-state peer near $216,000 home value and $768/mo rent. |
| Graham County, AZ | $202,700 | $890/mo | Same-state comparison near $202,700 home value and $890/mo rent. |
| Macon County, NC | $229,000 | $791/mo | Out-of-state peer near $229,000 home value and $791/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Santa Cruz County
Is Santa Cruz County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Santa Cruz County?
How much income do you need for housing in Santa Cruz County?
What should I double-check before moving to Santa Cruz County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.