RAL Market ScoutMarketsCaliforniaSanta Cruz County
RAL MARKET SCOUT Assisted living in SantaCruz County, CA 26 homes · opportunity 7.3/10 (Strong) ralmarketscout.com
Santa Cruz County, California · County Market Snapshot

Assisted living in Santa Cruz County, California

Demand, supply, and opportunity for small assisted living homes in Santa Cruz County — from the RAL Market Scout dataset.

Updated July 2026
Santa Cruz County, CA scores 7.3/10 (Strong) for assisted living opportunity. It has 19,191 residents aged 75+, growing 21.5%, against 26 licensed homes — a strong small-home market on RAL Market Scout's demand-vs-supply scoring.
Opportunity score
7.3/10
Strong
Population 75+
19,191
21.5% growth
Licensed homes
26
current supply
Demand rating
6.1/10
Moderate

Why Santa Cruz County ranks here

Santa Cruz County scores 7.3/10 (Strong) because its 19,191 seniors 75+ are growing 21.5% against just 26 licensed homes, with referral capacity of 2.2 per 1,000 seniors from nearby hospitals, hospice, and home-health agencies. A senior median income of $85,666 and median home value of $1,027,500 signal the local private-pay base.

Santa Cruz County demand & supply detail

Population 75+19,191
75+ growth (10-yr)21.5%
Dementia prevalence (65+)5.0%
Licensed assisted living homes26
Referral facilities nearby (hospital · hospice · SNF · home health · FQHC)43
Referral capacity / 1k seniors2.2
Senior median income$85,666
Median home value$1,027,500
Opportunity score7.3 / 10 (Strong)

Assisted living by city in Santa Cruz County

CityHomesBeds
Santa Cruz12538
Watsonville5119

Licensed assisted living homes in Santa Cruz County

FacilityCityBeds
BROOKDALE SCOTTS VALLEYScotts Valley220
DOMINICAN OAKSSanta Cruz142
SUNSHINE VILLA ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARESanta Cruz132
AEGIS ASSISTED LIVING OF APTOSAptos100
MONTECITO MANORWatsonville85
WESTWIND MEMORY CARESanta Cruz59
VALLEY HAVEN IIISanta Cruz48
MAPLE HOUSE IISanta Cruz40
PARADISE ASSISTED CARE CORPSanta Cruz39
RACHELLE'S HOME IIISoquel26
DE UN AMORCorralitos25
MAPLE HOUSE, THESanta Cruz22
HANOVER GUEST HOMESanta Cruz15
ALEXANDRIA VICTORIASanta Cruz13
RACHELLE'S HOME IFreedom12

Frequently asked questions

How many assisted living homes are in Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County has 26 licensed assisted living homes, serving 19,191 residents aged 75 and older.
Is Santa Cruz County a good market for assisted living?
Santa Cruz County scores 7.3 out of 10 (Strong) on RAL Market Scout, which weighs 75+ demand and projected senior growth against current bed supply. Its 75+ population is growing 21.5%.
How fast is the senior population growing in Santa Cruz County?
The 75+ population in Santa Cruz County is projected to change 21.5% over the coming decade, with dementia prevalence around 5.0% of seniors 65+.

Go deeper on Santa Cruz County

RAL Market Scout maps demand and supply down to the ZIP and builds a full site report for any specific address in Santa Cruz County.

Sources: Licensed-home count from the California state roster (RAL Market Scout pipeline). 75+ population, growth, income, and home value from U.S. Census ACS. Dementia prevalence from CMS chronic-condition data. Opportunity score is RAL Market Scout's model. Snapshot: 2026-07. Informational only — not legal, financial, or investment advice.