California · 1 county · 258,852 residents (2025 est.)
FHFA quarterly index through 2026 Q2Annual index 1975–2025Permits through August 2026
Santa Cruz-Watsonville (100 = first year)United States, rebased to the same startNBER recession
FHFA notes: The FHFA HPI is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The FHFA HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties. The line above is FHFA's standard quarterly all-transactions index for the metropolitan area; the comparison table below uses FHFA's annual CBSA index, which FHFA describes as developmental. The index does not give a dollar value for any home.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is a metropolitan statistical area of 1 county and about 259,000 residents. FHFA's annual index for it begins in 1975 and has risen +2328.6% through 2025.
The standard quarterly index for the area, published through 2026 Q2, is +1.7% on a year earlier and +0.2% on the previous quarter.
Over the ten years to 2025 the annual index rose +60.7% (+4.9% a year), well below California at +80.3% and well below the national +85.0%.
From a 2006 peak the index fell −33.6% to 2011, regaining the peak in 2017.
Across its counties, 714 housing units were authorised in the 12 months to August 2026, 2.8 per 1,000 residents, +90.9% on the previous 12 months.
+1.7%year to 2026 Q2, quarterly indexUS +3.0%
+0.3%1 year, 2024–2025US +2.8%
+30.1%5 yearsUS +47.0%
+60.7%10 years+4.9% a year annualised
+157.4%since 2000US +158.3%
714units permitted, 12 months2.8 per 1,000 residents
FHFA annual all-transactions indexes over identical years.
Decade by decade
Decade
Change
United States
1980s (1980–1990)
+139.9%
+68.2%
1990s (1990–2000)
+57.5%
+33.9%
2000s (2000–2010)
+28.2%
+29.7%
2010s (2010–2020)
+54.2%
+35.5%
2020s so far (2020–2025)
+30.1%
+47.0%
FHFA reports each index with a value of 100 in its base period, the first year the area has enough transactions (1975 here). A decade's change is the index at the end of the decade divided by the index at the start, so it does not depend on the base year; the United States column covers the same years. Decades before 1975 are not shown.
Peak-to-low declines
Peak
Low
Decline
Peak regained
2006
2011
−33.6%
2017
1990
1994
−6.0%
1997
Building permits across the area
Housing units authorised in the area's county (OMB July 2023 delineations), summed from county files.
Housing units authorised in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area by month, latest 12 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Housing units authorised in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area by month, latest 60 monthssingle-family2+ unit buildings
Housing units authorised in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area by year, 1995–2025single-family2+ unit buildings
Permits, 12 months to August 2026
This area
California
United States
Housing units authorised
714
111,538
1,418,086
Units per 1,000 residents
2.8
2.8
4.1
Single-family share
25%
50%
63%
Change on previous 12 months
+90.9%
+13.8%
−0.1%
Counties in the area
Ranked by ten-year change in FHFA's county index to 2025; permits are the latest 12 months.
How much have home values in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area risen over 10 years?
The FHFA annual index rose +60.7% between 2015 and 2025, about +4.9% a year. Over 20 years: +52.2%; since 2000: +157.4%. The quarterly index is +1.7% on a year earlier as of 2026 Q2.
Which counties in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area rose most?
By ten-year change to 2025: Santa Cruz County (+60.7%).
What happened to Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA prices after 2007?
The index peaked in 2006, fell −33.6% to 2011 and regained the peak in 2017. Nationally: −21.3% from 2007 to 2012.
How many homes are being built in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area?
714 housing units were authorised across the area's counties in the 12 months to August 2026, 25% of them single-family, 2.8 per 1,000 residents.
Where does this data come from?
FHFA's annual CBSA house price index (developmental, updated March 31, 2026) and its standard quarterly metropolitan index; Census Bureau building permits summed over member counties (OMB July 2023 delineations) through August 2026; vintage 2025 population estimates.
Provenance
Index: Federal Housing Finance Agency, annual house price index for core based statistical areas (all-transactions, developmental), last updated March 31, 2026, values 1975–2025; quarterly metropolitan area index (all-transactions) through 2026 Q2. Permits: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey county files through August 2026, summed over member counties from OMB's July 2023 delineations. Population: Census Bureau vintage 2025 estimates. Public domain. Corrections · FHFA HPI datasets.