Santa Cruz County, CA elected officials: supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Santa Cruz County: 8 seats on 4 elected bodies. 3 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, District 1Manu Koenig source
Supervisor, District 2Kim DeSerpa source
Supervisor, District 3Justin Cummings source
Supervisor, District 4Felipe Hernandez source
Supervisor, District 5Monica Martinez source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
AssessorSheri Thomas (also the Recorder) sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneyJeff Rosell sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff-CoronerChristopher Clark sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Santa Cruz County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 59 local governments in Santa Cruz County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships40
School districts (school boards)110
Special districts (elected boards)430

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (1 in Santa Cruz County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Santa Cruz County

264,926people
39.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$111,093 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
43.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$1,027,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
18%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
3.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.9%U.S.: 8.4%
51.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
38.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 35.2% · White 53.9% · Black 0.7% · Asian 4.7% · Other or more than one race 5.5% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Santa Cruz County

5.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.4%. California: 5.1%.
7,120people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
131,583people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
138,703in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Santa Cruz County 0.0%2.5%5.0%7.6%10.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)5.1%7,120131,583138,703
August 20265.3%7,396131,464138,860
July 20265.3%7,283129,971137,254
June 20265.3%7,202129,791136,993
May 20265.1%6,967129,814136,781
April 20266.2%8,448127,616136,064
March 20266.9%9,451127,072136,523
February 20267.2%9,934127,296137,230
January 20267.1%9,571126,027135,598
December 20256.4%8,829128,408137,237
November 20256.1%8,500130,590139,090
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.4%7,556133,303140,859
August 20255.6%7,998134,281142,279
July 20255.9%8,312133,291141,603
June 20255.8%8,172132,542140,714
May 20255.7%7,954131,571139,525
April 20256.7%9,251128,470137,721
March 20257.4%10,132127,622137,754
February 20257.5%10,348126,778137,126
January 20257.1%9,641125,677135,318
December 20246.2%8,343127,002135,345
November 20245.6%7,698129,218136,916
October 20245.1%7,078131,515138,593
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)6.3%8,790130,230139,020
20245.9%8,114129,518137,632
20235.5%7,530128,206135,736
20224.8%6,431128,007134,438
20216.7%8,988124,570133,558
20209.6%13,036122,912135,948
20194.9%6,955135,818142,773
20184.9%7,046135,688142,734
20175.7%8,171136,208144,379
20166.9%10,047135,410145,457

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. California's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 5.1% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Santa Cruz County

318.0 per 100,0002025. California: 432.7.
1,307.6 per 100,0002025. California: 1,792.2.
2murders2025, 826 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025826318.03,3971,307.6
2024937356.33,6191,376.3
20231,089414.83,5251,342.5
20221,182445.14,6741,760.1
2020961353.85,5072,027.6
20191,091399.16,2022,268.9
2018973353.06,7402,445.4
20171,043377.58,0382,909.0
20161,088396.48,4123,064.5
By police agency (5)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office2025215844125,144
Santa Cruz Police Department20253321,54962,473
Watsonville Police Department202521350151,037
Scotts Valley Police Department20252518311,731
Capitola Police Department2025413209,404

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in California · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.25 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 259,789 people.
325sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
261civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office145203125,144
Santa Cruz Police Department802562,473
Watsonville Police Department602051,037
Scotts Valley Police Department19811,731
Capitola Police Department2159,404
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20253251.252615
20243271.242705
20233251.242505
20223331.252525
20213311.232365
20203441.272445
20193411.252605
20183411.242575
20173441.242465
20163431.252455

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Santa Cruz County Assessor?
Sheri Thomas (also the Recorder) is the Assessor of Santa Cruz County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Santa Cruz County District Attorney?
Jeff Rosell is the District Attorney of Santa Cruz County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner?
Christopher Clark is the Sheriff-Coroner of Santa Cruz County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Santa Cruz County commissioners?
Manu Koenig (Supervisor, District 1); Kim DeSerpa (Supervisor, District 2); Justin Cummings (Supervisor, District 3); Felipe Hernandez (Supervisor, District 4); Monica Martinez (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Santa Cruz County?
About 264,926 people, with a median age of 39.8; the median household income is $111,093 and 11.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Santa Cruz County?
5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 7,120 people unemployed in a labor force of 138,703, against 5.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Santa Cruz County?
59 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 11 school district and 43 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's California Roster; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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