The Town FilesBoulder Creek, California
Community in Santa Cruz County · population 5,429 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $849,900
- Household income
- $84,156
- Jan low / Jul high
- 37° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 47.9
Boulder Creek is a community of 5,429 people in Santa Cruz County, California. The median home is worth $849,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 95% of California towns, better for cycling than 95% of California towns, hipper than 84% of California towns.
How Boulder Creek ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Boulder Creek is worth $849,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 10.1 times the median household income of $84,156, which is more affordable than 9% of California towns. Median rent is $1,907 a month. 76.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Boulder Creek | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $849,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,907 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $84,156 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 10.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 76.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1953 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.5% | — |
Who lives in Boulder Creek
| People | Boulder Creek | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 29.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 10.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 8.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.6% | — |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 37.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.4% | 93.3% |
Weather in Boulder Creek
July highs average 87.9°F and January lows 37.4°F. About 49.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 54 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 37 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Boulder Creek since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on December 14, 2024 about 7.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 14, 2024.
Severe weather in Santa Cruz County since 1996
Santa Cruz County has been included in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County had 104,514 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $67,622 a year. Unemployment was 5.7% in 2023; in Boulder Creek itself the ACS puts it at 12.1%.
Public schools in Boulder Creek
2 public schools with 3,648 students, about 23.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Grove Charter (charter) | K-12 | 3,212 | 23.4 |
| Boulder Creek Elementary | K-5 | 436 | 22.9 |
Towns near Boulder Creek
- Ben Lomond, CA4.4 mi · 6,337 people · home $960,700
- Bonny Doon, CA6.3 mi · 2,868 people · home $1,201,900
- Felton, CA7.0 mi · 4,489 people · home $900,500
- Scotts Valley, CA8.4 mi · 12,224 people · home $1,105,700
- Monte Sereno, CA10.6 mi · 3,479 people · home $2,000,001
- Saratoga, CA10.8 mi · 31,051 people · home $2,000,001
- Los Gatos, CA11.5 mi · 33,529 people · home $2,000,001
- Santa Cruz, CA12.1 mi · 62,956 people · home $1,209,000
Boulder Creek questions
Is Boulder Creek, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Boulder Creek scores better for retirees than 78% of California towns and quieter than 72%. 29.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.9).
How much does a house cost in Boulder Creek?
The median owner-occupied home in Boulder Creek is valued at $849,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $84,156, so homes cost about 10.1 times income. Median rent is $1,907 a month.
What is the weather like in Boulder Creek?
July highs average 87.9°F and January lows 37.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Boulder Creek get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Boulder Creek since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on December 14, 2024. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)