The Town FilesScotts Valley, California
City in Santa Cruz County · population 12,224 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,105,700
- Household income
- $143,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 37° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 47.3
Scotts Valley is a city of 12,224 people in Santa Cruz County, California. The median home is worth $1,105,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for cycling than 89% of California towns, more upscale than 87% of California towns, better for young professionals than 86% of California towns.
How Scotts Valley 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 Scotts Valley is worth $1,105,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.7 times the median household income of $143,750, which is more affordable than 31% of California towns. Median rent is $2,491 a month. 73.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Scotts Valley | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,105,700 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,491 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $143,750 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 73.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.3% | — |
Who lives in Scotts Valley
| People | Scotts Valley | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 12.8% | — |
| Work from home | 26.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 24.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Scotts Valley
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
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scotts Valley since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on December 14, 2024 about 1.1 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 Scotts Valley itself the ACS puts it at 2.9%.
Public schools in Scotts Valley
3 public schools with 1,638 students, about 21.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotts Valley High | 9-12 | 655 | 19.8 |
| Vine Hill Elementary | K-5 | 532 | 24.2 |
| Scotts Valley Middle | 6-8 | 451 | 19.6 |
Towns near Scotts Valley
- Felton, CA4.0 mi · 4,489 people · home $900,500
- Ben Lomond, CA4.5 mi · 6,337 people · home $960,700
- Live Oak, CA5.1 mi · 17,038 people · home $1,015,200
- Soquel, CA5.3 mi · 9,980 people · home $957,300
- Santa Cruz, CA5.8 mi · 62,956 people · home $1,209,000
- Capitola, CA6.3 mi · 9,938 people · home $783,000
- Twin Lakes, CA6.6 mi · 4,944 people · home $959,100
- Bonny Doon, CA7.0 mi · 2,868 people · home $1,201,900
Scotts Valley questions
Is Scotts Valley, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scotts Valley scores better for retirees than 75% of California towns and quieter than 56%. 23.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.3).
How much does a house cost in Scotts Valley?
The median owner-occupied home in Scotts Valley is valued at $1,105,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $143,750, so homes cost about 7.7 times income. Median rent is $2,491 a month.
What is the weather like in Scotts Valley?
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 Scotts Valley get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scotts Valley 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)