Fastest-Appreciating Neighborhoods in Santa Cruz, CA
Houseberry ranks Santa Cruz neighborhoods by appreciation. Neighborhood-level figures for Santa Cruz are not published yet.
Houseberry scores 34 Santa Cruz neighborhoods on schools, safety, amenities, price, value and appreciation. Overall scores in Santa Cruz run from 1.4 to 3.8 out of 5, and 0 score 4 out of 5 or higher. Median home prices range from $722,499 in Lower Ocean to $1,900,000 in Lighthouse / The Circles across 12 priced neighborhoods. Across the five nearest cities the average overall score is 3.9 out of 5, against 2.7 in Santa Cruz.
Learn more about Santa Cruz, CA.
1st
Prospect Heights, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.8/5
SCHOOL-/5
SAFETY4.0/5
AMENITIES1.3/5
PRICE$995,450
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
2nd
Lighthouse / The Circles, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.7/5
SCHOOL3.5/5
SAFETY4.0/5
AMENITIES2.9/5
PRICE$1,900,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
3rd
Western Drive / Nobel, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.6/5
SCHOOL4.0/5
SAFETY3.5/5
AMENITIES1.7/5
PRICE$1,545,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
4th
Moore Creek Upland Open Space, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.6/5
SCHOOL4.5/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES0.5/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
5th
Water Street Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.5/5
SCHOOL4.0/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES4.4/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
6th
Lower Seabright, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.5/5
SCHOOL4.0/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES2.3/5
PRICE$1,850,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
7th
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.4/5
SCHOOL3.0/5
SAFETY4.0/5
AMENITIES1.4/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
8th
Paradise Park Masonic Club, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.4/5
SCHOOL3.0/5
SAFETY4.0/5
AMENITIES0.2/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
9th
Beach Hill / Beach Flats, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.3/5
SCHOOL5.0/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES4.2/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
10th
King Street, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.3/5
SCHOOL3.0/5
SAFETY3.5/5
AMENITIES3.5/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
11th
Upper Ocean, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.3/5
SCHOOL3.5/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES3.2/5
PRICE$939,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
12th
Harvey West District, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.2/5
SCHOOL3.5/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES2.5/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
13th
Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.1/5
SCHOOL2.5/5
SAFETY4.0/5
AMENITIES1.4/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
14th
Carbonera, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.1/5
SCHOOL2.5/5
SAFETY4.0/5
AMENITIES0.5/5
PRICE$1,550,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
15th
Beach and Boardwalk District, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.0/5
SCHOOL4.5/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES4/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
16th
Westside Industrial District, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 3.0/5
SCHOOL3.0/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES2/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
17th
Lighthouse Field State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.7/5
SCHOOL1.5/5
SAFETY4.0/5
AMENITIES1.9/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
18th
Tanner Heights, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.7/5
SCHOOL1.0/5
SAFETY4.5/5
AMENITIES1.5/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
19th
Westlake, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.7/5
SCHOOL2.0/5
SAFETY3.5/5
AMENITIES2/5
PRICE$1,299,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
20th
Downtown Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.6/5
SCHOOL3.0/5
SAFETY2.0/5
AMENITIES4.6/5
PRICE$750,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
21st
Lower Ocean, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.4/5
SCHOOL3.0/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES4.4/5
PRICE$722,499
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
22nd
San Lorenzo Park, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.4/5
SCHOOL1.5/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES4.7/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
23rd
Banana Belt, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.3/5
SCHOOL1.0/5
SAFETY3.5/5
AMENITIES3.5/5
PRICE$837,250
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
24th
Neary Lagoon, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.3/5
SCHOOL2.5/5
SAFETY2.0/5
AMENITIES3/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
25th
Upper Seabright, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.3/5
SCHOOL2.5/5
SAFETY2.0/5
AMENITIES3.5/5
PRICE$1,700,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
26th
California Street / Mission Hill, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.2/5
SCHOOL-/5
SAFETY2.0/5
AMENITIES4.2/5
PRICE$1,195,000
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
27th
Pogonip, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.1/5
SCHOOL1.5/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES0.4/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
28th
Mission Street Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.1/5
SCHOOL2.5/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES4/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
29th
Soquel Avenue Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 2.0/5
SCHOOL2.5/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES3.3/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
30th
DeLaveaga Park, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 1.9/5
SCHOOL1.0/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES0.3/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
31st
Ocean Street Corridor, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 1.9/5
SCHOOL0.5/5
SAFETY3.0/5
AMENITIES4.3/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
32nd
Arana Gulch, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 1.6/5
SCHOOL1.5/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES2.9/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
33rd
Branciforte Drive, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 1.4/5
SCHOOL1.0/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES4/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
34th
River Street District, Santa Cruz, CA
Overall Score : 1.4/5
SCHOOL1.0/5
SAFETY1.5/5
AMENITIES4.3/5
PRICE-
APPRECIATION-
VALUE$0
Scores updated August 2026
Fastest-Appreciating Neighborhoods
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More Santa Cruz rankings
- Best neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
- Best neighborhoods for schools in Santa Cruz
- Safest neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
- Best neighborhoods for amenities in Santa Cruz
- Most affordable neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
- Best-value neighborhoods in Santa Cruz
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