Watsonville is a city located in Santa Cruz County California. Watsonville has a 2024 population of 50,328. Watsonville is currently declining at a rate of -1.06% annually and its population has decreased by -4.1% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 52,482 in 2020.
The average household income in Watsonville is $93,056 with a poverty rate of 13.81%. The median age in Watsonville is 33 years: 32.9 years for males, and 33 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Watsonville was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| Other race | 21,324 | 40.65% |
| White | 18,825 | 35.89% |
| Two or more races | 8,689 | 16.56% |
| Asian | 1,674 | 3.19% |
| Native American | 1,300 | 2.48% |
| Black or African American | 595 | 1.13% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 50 | 0.1% |
Other race
White
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 15,221 | 3.4 | 44.1 | 55.9 |
| Married | 7,605 | 3.91 | 49.3 | 50.7 |
| Non Family | 3,592 | 1.49 | 42.7 | 57.3 |
| Female | 3,036 | 4.16 | 32.5 | 67.5 |
| Male | 988 | 4.06 | 44.4 | 55.6 |
3.84
Average Family Size
3.4
Average Household Size
44.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 2,835 | 8.94% |
| Associates Degree | 2,241 | 7.06% |
| Bachelors Degree | 2,506 | 7.9% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,216 | 3.83% |
| High School Graduate | 8,286 | 26.12% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 7,866 | 24.8% |
| Some College | 6,772 | 21.35% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 23,844 | 13,650 | 1,779 |
| Other Race | 11,723 | 6,214 | 792 |
| White | 6,205 | 5,824 | 1,337 |
| 2+ Races | 4,974 | 3,337 | 384 |
| Asian | 1,314 | 1,137 | 486 |
| Native American | 722 | 453 | 88 |
| Black | 376 | 303 | 40 |
| Islander | 50 | 29 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 93.86%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 36.99%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $71,250 | $68,240 | $75,473 |
| Graduate Degree | $114,821 | $126,500 | $98,500 |
| High School Graduate | $36,331 | $46,477 | $32,794 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $26,494 | $31,807 | $22,279 |
| Overall | $37,864 | $43,999 | $32,243 |
| Some College | $45,092 | $55,299 | $40,143 |
$37,864
Average Earnings
$43,999
Average Male
$32,243
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
25.1% of Watsonville residents speak only English, while 74.9% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 70.79% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 42,933 | 5,725 | 13.33% |
| Other | 21,130 | 3,126 | 14.79% |
| White | 6,752 | 1,304 | 19.31% |
| Multiple | 8,583 | 896 | 10.44% |
| Native | 1,300 | 88 | 6.77% |
| Asian | 1,648 | 69 | 4.19% |
| Black | 586 | 9 | 1.54% |
13.81%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.03%
Male Poverty Rate
14.56%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Watsonville is White, with 19.31% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Watsonville is Black, with 1.54% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.97%. Among those working part-time, it was 14.92%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.18%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 15.59% |
| High School | 12.96% |
| Some College | 11.62% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 7.74% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 22.34% |
| Male Unemployed | 13.96% |
| Female Employed | 9.56% |
| Male Employed | 7.2% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $78,687 | $97,641 |
| Households | $72,295 | $93,056 |
| Married Families | $90,715 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $38,390 | $67,709 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
45.5%
Overall Marriage Rate
49.0%
Male Marriage Rate
42.0%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,015
Number of Veterans
937
Male Veterans
78
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 409 |
| Second Gulf War | 149 |
| Korea | 137 |
| First Gulf War | 133 |
| World War II | 31 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 445 |
| 65 to 74 | 255 |
| 35 to 54 | 166 |
| 55 to 64 | 84 |
| 18 to 34 | 65 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 633 | 4.44% |
| Hispanic | 395 | 1.37% |
| Other Race | 221 | 1.53% |
| 2+ Races | 63 | 1.08% |
| Asian | 47 | 3.34% |
| Black | 40 | 9.37% |
| Native American | 11 | 1.35% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
8.88%
Veteran Poverty Rate
45.92%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
64.2%
Labor Force Participation
58.1%
Employment Rate
9.4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
57.97%
Born in Watsonville
64.55%
Native Born
35.45%
Foreign Born
22.07%
Non Citizen
13.38%
Naturalized
64.55% of Watsonville residents were born in the United States, with 57.97% having been born in California. 22.07% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 47,636 | -539 | -1.12% |
| 2028 | 48,175 | -538 | -1.1% |
| 2027 | 48,713 | -538 | -1.09% |
| 2026 | 49,251 | -539 | -1.08% |
| 2025 | 49,790 | -538 | -1.07% |
| 2024 | 50,328 | -539 | -1.06% |
| 2023 | 50,867 | -571 | -1.11% |
| 2022 | 51,438 | -643 | -1.23% |
| 2021 | 52,081 | -401 | -0.76% |
| 2020 | 52,482 | 294 | 0.56% |
| 2019 | 52,188 | -321 | -0.61% |
| 2018 | 52,509 | -333 | -0.63% |
| 2017 | 52,842 | 18 | 0.03% |
| 2016 | 52,824 | 134 | 0.25% |
| 2015 | 52,690 | 351 | 0.67% |
| 2014 | 52,339 | 325 | 0.62% |
| 2013 | 52,014 | 353 | 0.68% |
| 2012 | 51,661 | 221 | 0.43% |
| 2011 | 51,440 | 225 | 0.44% |
| 2010 | 51,215 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 44,265 | 13,166 | 42.34% |
| 1990 | 31,099 | 7,437 | 31.43% |
| 1980 | 23,662 | 9,093 | 62.41% |
| 1970 | 14,569 | 1,276 | 9.6% |
| 1960 | 13,293 | 1,721 | 14.87% |
| 1950 | 11,572 | 2,635 | 29.48% |
| 1940 | 8,937 | 593 | 7.11% |
| 1930 | 8,344 | 3,331 | 66.45% |
| 1920 | 5,013 | 567 | 12.75% |
| 1910 | 4,446 | 918 | 26.02% |
| 1900 | 3,528 | 1,379 | 64.17% |
| 1890 | 2,149 | 350 | 19.46% |
| 1880 | 1,799 | 648 | 56.3% |
| 1870 | 1,151 | 753 | 189.2% |
| 1860 | 398 | -47,238 | -99.16% |