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Santa Cruz County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 10% of Santa Cruz County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 397 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

1%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

63%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Santa Cruz County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)9.6%
High water table (limits basements)1.2%
Septic fields very limited86.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.9%
Mapped soil287,943 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Ben Lomond12%n/a
Felton10%n/a
Lompico7%n/a
Watsonville5%n/a
Aptos5%n/a
Maymen5%n/a
Santa Clara County: 24%San Mateo County: 10%Alameda County: 38%San Benito County: 21%Contra Costa County: 48%Monterey County: 15%Stanislaus County: 24%Merced County: 28%Santa Cruz County Santa ClaraSan MateoAlamedaSan BenitoContra CostaMontereyStanislausMercedSanta Cruz
Santa Cruz County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas CA087 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.94 in, 3.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.59 in.

USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Santa Cruz County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

397 flood losses since 2016, $13.6 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 155. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 31% slabs, 40% crawl spaces, 26% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.

YearFlood losses
201623
2017102
20181
20194
20200
20217
202297
2023155
20247
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202033.59 in
12 months to August 202629.94 in (-3.65)
202528.31 in (-5.28)
Wettest year since 18951983: 68.71 in
Driest year since 18952013: 6.07 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SANTA CRUZ (2 mi away)8.8

Homes

Housing units106,977
Median year built1974
Built before 198063%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied60%
Median value, owner-occupied$1.0 million
Single-family detached63%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Santa Clara County, CA 23 mi 24% 3%
San Mateo County, CA 34 mi 10% 3%
Alameda County, CA 44 mi 38% 8%
San Benito County, CA 58 mi 21% 4%
Contra Costa County, CA 62 mi 48% 11%
Monterey County, CA 66 mi 15% 2%
Stanislaus County, CA 67 mi 24% 7%
Merced County, CA 72 mi 28% 27%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status