Map the Block › Places › Arizona › Santa Cruz County
What are the crime rate and median income in Santa Cruz County, Arizona?
FBI reports put Santa Cruz County at 1.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 63% lower than the rate for Arizona (4.2). The median household earns $55,217 and the unemployment rate was 9.0% in August 2026. About 48,926 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Santa Cruz County?
From 2021 through 2025, Santa Cruz County averaged 77 reported violent crimes a year, along with 783 property crimes. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 1.6: 63% lower than the Arizona rate (4.2), and 58% lower than the national rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 15.8 per 1,000 (Arizona: 18.8; U.S.: 18.1). Aggravated assaults make up 83% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 2 homicide deaths a year in the county (5.2 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Santa Cruz County | Per 1,000 | Arizona per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 77 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 8 | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 3 | 0.06 | 0.44 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.02 | 0.65 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 64 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 783 | 15.8 | 18.8 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 119 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 474 | 9.6 | 13.9 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 189 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (2 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
Median household income is $55,217, 31% lower than the statewide figure ($79,964). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $233,000, and the median rent is $829 a month. 23.9% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 10.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 9.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,983 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Santa Cruz County | Arizona | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,926 | 7,378,838 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $55,217 | $79,964 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $233,000 | $394,500 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $829 | $1,543 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 12.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 20.2% | 12.5% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 23.9% | 10.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 23.1% | 33.3% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 69.3% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 39.0 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 87.9% | 91.5% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 15.2% | 10.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are wildfire (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Santa Cruz County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Santa Cruz County has 2 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 2 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: Lake Patagonia (157 ft) and Pena Blanca (78 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
3 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 4,939 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
No federal major disaster declaration covered Santa Cruz County from 2016 through 2025 (COVID-19 excluded). EPA air monitors logged 9 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 17 community water systems, 5 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 7 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 1 pedestrian.
Is there road construction in Santa Cruz County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 33 highway work zones in Santa Cruz County (3 active that day). Listed roads include SR-82-SCENIC and SR-289. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Santa Cruz County?
Federal school lists show 31 public and 4 private schools in the county. USGS mapping shows 12 fire or EMS stations and 3 police or sheriff stations. National Park Service sites here: Tumacacori National Historical Park. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Patagonia Lake State Park and Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Santa Cruz County
Gun shops
One gun shop with a public storefront is on the map in Santa Cruz County, plus 6 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Big 5 Sporting Goods #497 (Nogales).
Liquor stores
3 liquor stores are on the map in Santa Cruz County: Dos Cabezas Wineworks, Pigeon's Liquor Store (Rio Rico) and Village of Elgin Winery. Arizona has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Santa Cruz County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County averaged 77 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 1.6 per 1,000 residents, 63% lower than the Arizona rate (4.2). The property-crime rate was 15.8 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
$55,217 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $79,964 for Arizona and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Santa Cruz County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 9.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,983 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. The hazards rated highest here are wildfire (Relatively High) and heat waves (Relatively High).
Is there road construction in Santa Cruz County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 33 highway work zones in Santa Cruz County (3 active that day). Listed roads include SR-82-SCENIC and SR-289.
How does Santa Cruz County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cochise County | 125,566 | 2.0 | $59,742 |
| Pima County | 1,060,490 | 3.5 | $70,315 |
More: Arizona statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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