Santa Cruz County Market Stats
Published
I track Santa Cruz County market conditions every week. The numbers below come from Altos Research for the week ending August 4, 2026, the most current data available.
Data from Altos Research, week ending August 4, 2026. Single-family homes. Sponsored by Padraic Collins, Stewart Title. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Contact me for neighborhood-specific breakdowns.
What the numbers mean
Santa Cruz Median List Price Holds at $1,499,475. Inventory Steady at 400
The Santa Cruz County median list price is $1,499,475 this week, right in the band the market has held since mid-June. Active single-family inventory sits at 400, level with the 402 recorded in mid-July and up from 376 in late June. Supply built through July and has now flattened, so buyers still have the widest choice of the summer.
Price cuts have moved. This week 38% of active listings carry a reduction, up from the low 30s that held from May through July. Sellers who price to current comps continue to find buyers. The rise in reductions tells you more homes went to market above what buyers will pay, and those sellers are now adjusting.
Market Action Index Holds at 38. Sellers Still Have the Edge
The Market Action Index reads 38 for Santa Cruz County. Altos counts anything above 30 as a seller’s market and anything below as a buyer’s market. At 38 the county stays in seller territory, one point under last month’s 39.
The index weighs how fast homes sell against how much supply is listed. Santa Cruz ran at 39 through the spring and into June, then settled to 38 in mid-July and stayed there. That is a plateau, not a turn. A move down toward 30 would be the reading to watch, since that is where the balance shifts to buyers.
Median Days on Market Steady at 63
Median days on market for active Santa Cruz County listings is 63, unchanged from mid-July and up from 56 in early summer. This figure covers everything for sale right now, not the homes that already closed.
A well-priced home in a strong location still goes under contract inside two weeks. The 63-day number gets pulled higher by listings that are stale or set above the comps. If a home has been up more than a month with no offer, the price is the first place to look.