Santa Cruz County, Arizona: commercial real estate data.
Santa Cruz County, Arizona has a population of 48,926 across 1,237 square miles, up 6.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.84 bn in 2024, 1,129 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 26 7(a) approvals worth $16.9 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Santa Cruz County
How many people live in Santa Cruz County
- Population48,926
- Households16,966
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$55,217
- Median age37.9
- Median gross rent$829 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$233,000
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over31,825
- Population under 1812,606
- Share under 1825.8 percent
- Population 65 and over9,427
- Share 65 and over19.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6426,893
- Civilian labor force21,746
- Unemployment rate12.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.9 percent
- Rank by population among Arizona counties12th of 15
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1028th
Santa Cruz County is the 12th largest of 15 Arizona counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.8 percent against 19.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Santa Cruz County
Is Santa Cruz County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.97 percent
- Census 2020 base population47,663
- Births, 2024578
- Deaths, 2024359
- Natural change, 2024219
- Net domestic migration, 2024-148
- Net international migration, 2024788
- Total net migration, 2024640
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202459
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents412th
The county has grown 5.97 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Santa Cruz County
Where people moving to Santa Cruz County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,159
- People arriving, from those returns2,260
- Adjusted gross income arriving$71.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$61,819
- Largest single originSanta Cruz County Non-migrants (18,610 households)
- Largest single destination (18,610 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County Non-migrants | 18,610 | 41,312 | $1.04 bn |
| Pima County | 522 | 1,048 | $22.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 383 | 700 | $34.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 214 | 385 | $18.9 m |
| Maricopa County | 181 | 366 | $9.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 98 | 200 | $7.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 73 | 146 | $5.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 51 | 81 | $4.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Santa Cruz County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Santa Cruz County
What the Santa Cruz County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.84 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.72 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years35.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arizona counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1019th
- GDP per resident$58,128
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 35.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Santa Cruz County
Who employs people in Santa Cruz County
- Covered employment, annual average13,675
- Establishments reporting1,240
- Average annual pay$59,656
- Average weekly wage$1,147
- Sector 42, employment1,938
- Sector 42, average annual pay$78,455
- Sector 44-45, employment1,880
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,189
- Sector 48-49, employment1,740
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$50,796
- Sector 72, employment1,319
- Sector 72, average annual pay$27,524
- Sector 62, employment663
- Sector 31-33, employment559
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 42 | 1,938 | 210 | $78,455 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,880 | 150 | $33,189 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,740 | 214 | $50,796 |
| Sector 72 | 1,319 | 94 | $27,524 |
| Sector 62 | 663 | 64 | $58,512 |
| Sector 31-33 | 559 | 42 | $55,611 |
| Sector 11 | 424 | 25 | $40,137 |
| Sector 23 | 271 | 72 | $52,678 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,938 jobs, 14.2 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Santa Cruz County
What businesses operate in Santa Cruz County
- Establishments, all industries1,129
- Employment at those establishments11,201
- Annual payroll$501.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Santa Cruz County
What is being built in Santa Cruz County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024338
- Declared construction value permitted$87.3 m
- Single family units authorised336
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units0.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$258,317
- Units authorised per 1,000 households19.9
Multifamily is 0.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Santa Cruz County
How much SBA lending happens in Santa Cruz County
- 7(a) approvals recorded26
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$16.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$649,292
- Median 7(a) approval$184,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,025,000
- Largest single approval$4,522,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)159
- Jobs per approval6.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer23.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals3.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (4)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (6)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$11.9 m
- Average 504 approval$700,412
- Median 504 approval$660,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval4.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.5
- Most active CDCArizona Capital Source (13)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals60.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$28.8 m
The average approval of $649,292 sits well above the median of $184,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 23.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Cruz County
Do SBA loans in Santa Cruz County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure18
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Cruz County
Which parts of Santa Cruz County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- NOGALES, approvals15
- RIO RICO, approvals4
- TUBAC, approvals4
- Elgin, approvals2
- PATAGONIA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| NOGALES | 15 | $10,001,200 |
| RIO RICO | 4 | $1,313,000 |
| TUBAC | 4 | $2,166,100 |
| Elgin | 2 | $3,386,300 |
| PATAGONIA | 1 | $15,000 |
NOGALES accounts for 15 approvals against 4 in RIO RICO. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Cruz County
How big is Santa Cruz County
- Land area1,237 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arizona counties15th of 15
- Width, east to west53.9 mi
- Height, north to south27.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land40
- Establishments per square mile0.91
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Santa Cruz County
What hazards affect Santa Cruz County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Santa Cruz County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Santa Cruz County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population48,926
- Households16,966
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$55,217
- Median age37.9
Common questions
Santa Cruz County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Santa Cruz County, Arizona?
48,926, in 16,966 households, ranking 12th of 15 Arizona counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Santa Cruz County growing?
The population has grown 5.97 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 578 births against 359 deaths, with net migration of 640. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
$55,217. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $233,000, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $829 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Santa Cruz County?
1,129 establishments, employing 11,201 people with an annual payroll of $501.0 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Santa Cruz County?
Average annual pay is $59,656, or $1,147 a week, across 13,675 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Santa Cruz County?
26 7(a) approvals totalling $16.9 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $184,000, plus 17 504 approvals worth $11.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Santa Cruz County?
338 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $87.3 m. Multifamily was 0.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Santa Cruz County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Santa Cruz County come from?
The largest single origin is Santa Cruz County Non-migrants, with 18,610 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,819 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Santa Cruz County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Santa Cruz County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.