McHenry Library and its courtyard on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus.

BUY NEAR UC SANTA CRUZ

Homes near UC Santa Cruz

Find your place near University of California, Santa Cruz. Explore homes, neighborhoods and local guidance.

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Lori Hill
LOCAL REALTOR

Lori Hill

Broker Associate, Compass
UC Santa Cruz-area real estate guidance

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University of California, Santa Cruz · MARKET CONTEXT

Put the purchase in context.

University demand and local housing benchmarks, with the location and reporting period kept beside each number.

City median sale price
$1,374,312

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-07

Saved school cost intelligence ↗
1 bedroom rent reference
$2,771/mo

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-09

Saved school cost intelligence ↗
City sale-price change
-1.8%

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-07

Saved school cost intelligence ↗
Studio rent reference
$2,234/mo

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-09

Saved school cost intelligence ↗
University & housing details Definitions, dates and sources

City median sale price $1,374,312

Median sale price for the cited city housing market; not a campus-only or student-property price.

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-07 · Checked 2026-09-07Saved school cost intelligence ↗

1 bedroom rent reference $2,771/mo

Saved source-specific rental reference. Scope is the cited city or off-campus market guide; not median rent, per-bed rent, or a live quote.

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-09 · Checked 2026-09-07Saved school cost intelligence ↗

City sale-price change -1.8%

Year-over-year change paired with the saved city median sale-price series.

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-07 · Checked 2026-09-07Saved school cost intelligence ↗

Studio rent reference $2,234/mo

Saved source-specific rental reference. Scope is the cited city or off-campus market guide; not median rent, per-bed rent, or a live quote.

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-09 · Checked 2026-09-07Saved school cost intelligence ↗

2 bedrooms rent reference $3,762/mo

Saved source-specific rental reference. Scope is the cited city or off-campus market guide; not median rent, per-bed rent, or a live quote.

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-09 · Checked 2026-09-07Saved school cost intelligence ↗

3 bedrooms rent reference $3,624/mo

Saved source-specific rental reference. Scope is the cited city or off-campus market guide; not median rent, per-bed rent, or a live quote.

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-09 · Checked 2026-09-07Saved school cost intelligence ↗

Campus housing policy For the Fall 2026 entering class, UCSC offers first-year and transfer students a two-year university-housing guarantee. Students must request housing when accepting admission and meet the housing deadlines.

Official housing guarantee summary with the entering cohort and application conditions stated explicitly.

Santa Cruz, CA · 2026-27 (Fall 2026 entering first-year and transfer cohort) · Checked 2026-11-02T19:30:40.070964-05:00UC Santa Cruz Admissions — Housing Guarantee FAQ ↗

Before choosing off-campus housing: For the Fall 2026 entering class, UCSC offers first-year and transfer students a two-year university-housing guarantee. Students must request housing when accepting admission and meet the housing deadlines. University housing policy ↗ Checked 2026-11-02T19:30:40.070964-05:00

University figures and citywide housing data cover different populations and periods. They do not establish achievable rent, occupancy or investment returns for a specific property.

Why buy near UC Santa Cruz?

Understand local demand

Explore how students, faculty and staff shape the local housing market.

Find your neighborhood

Compare the commute, campus access and places you use every day.

More control

Consider the costs and responsibilities of owning your own place.

Plan for what’s next

Think through keeping, renting or selling when your plans change.

Browse homes near UC Santa Cruz

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Published listing data; confirm availability and terms with the listing source. Distances are straight-line estimates.

Explore neighborhoods near UC Santa Cruz

Start with campus access, your daily commute and the kind of home you want.

Santa Cruz

Discuss Santa Cruz with Lori Hill as part of your UC Santa Cruz housing search. Compare the individual property, your daily trip and the full housing plan.

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Capitola

Discuss Capitola with Lori Hill as part of your UC Santa Cruz housing search. Compare the individual property, your daily trip and the full housing plan.

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Aptos

Discuss Aptos with Lori Hill as part of your UC Santa Cruz housing search. Compare the individual property, your daily trip and the full housing plan.

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View school-specific neighborhood guides →

Financing your home near UC Santa Cruz

Get the information you need to make a confident decision.

Local professionals near UC Santa Cruz

Guides for your next step

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