Santa Cruz County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Scotts Valley
The data center boom is not abstract in Santa Cruz County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County is home to Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley and Capitola. Construction employs 4,971, up 11.6% since 2019. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 436, up 3.1% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $82,586 a year.
Cities and towns in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County is home to Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley and Capitola.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Amesti, Aptos, Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley, Ben Lomond, Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Corralitos, Davenport, Day Valley, Felton, Freedom, Interlaken, La Selva Beach, Live Oak, Lompico, Mount Hermon, Pajaro Dunes, Paradise Park, Pasatiempo, Pleasure Point, Rio del Mar, Seacliff, Soquel, Twin Lakes, Zayante.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Santa Cruz County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 271,758 | 258,852 | ▼ 4.7% | 25th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 106,304 | 104,438 | ▼ 1.8% | 53rd of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,434 | $70,123 | ▲ 26.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,455 | 4,971 | ▲ 11.6% | 18th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 423 | 436 | ▲ 3.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 14 MW of capacity, 32% of it other technologies. Employers here counted 104,438 jobs in 2025, down 1.8% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Santa Cruz County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. 258,852 people live here, down 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers Santa Cruz County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Santa Cruz County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,047,461 | 39.62¢ | 30% |
| Central Coast Community Energy | — | Bundled | 383,835 | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 32% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 31% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 31% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California Santa Cruz | University of California Santa Cruz | Solar | 7 MW | 2013 |
| Ameresco Santa Cruz Energy | AMERESCO Santa Cruz Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2006 |
| Cabrillo College | Forefront Power, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Santa Cruz Energy | Santa Cruz Energy LLC | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2009 |
The Santa Cruz County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 104,438 | $70,123 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,971 | $76,485 | 0.90 |
| Electrical contractors | 436 | $82,586 | 0.58 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Santa Cruz County
1 data center in Santa Cruz County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Santa Cruz County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Santa Cruz County, Santa Clara County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County | 258,852 | ▼ 1.8% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Monterey County | 433,729 | ▲ 0.2% | 2,391 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| San Benito County | 70,082 | ▲ 7.7% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| San Mateo County | 743,568 | ▼ 1.1% | 29 MW | 3 MW | 10 | — |
| Santa Clara County | 1,914,391 | ● 0.0% | 1,887 MW | 50 MW | 197 | — |
More of California
Santa Cruz County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Santa Cruz County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Santa Cruz County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Central Coast Community Energy. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Santa Cruz, CA in?
Santa Cruz is in Santa Cruz County, California. About 61,797 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Watsonville, CA in?
Watsonville is in Santa Cruz County, California. About 50,716 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Scotts Valley, CA in?
Scotts Valley is in Santa Cruz County, California. About 11,652 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Santa Cruz County?
4 operating plants with 14 MW of capacity. The largest is University of California Santa Cruz (7 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Santa Cruz County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Santa Cruz County.
Is Santa Cruz County adding jobs?
Employers counted 104,438 jobs in 2025 against 106,304 in 2019 (-1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,455 to 4,971.
Does Santa Cruz County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Santa Cruz County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.