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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEStable

Rio Del Mar, CA

Stable overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

Post on XLinkedIn
Overall score54out of 100
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84
29
18
64
93

Population

9,201

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+6.4% YoY

84

$21.1B

Output changed +6.4% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.8%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

29

6.2%

Unemployment is 6.2% for April 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.3%
U.S. avg4.3%

Population

-5.3% 5-year

18

9,201

Population moved -5.3% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population39,287,377
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

64

25.6%

Median rent consumes 25.6% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$2.0K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.3K per resident

93

$2.0B

$2.0B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$485.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$2.0B

$7.3K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$1.3B
2. Department of Housing and Urban Development$214.5M
3. Department of Transportation$105.6M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ$179.8M
2. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ$117.4M
3. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$105.3M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

25.6%

of median income

1BR estimate$2,794
2BR estimate$3,680
Median income$159,929
Median home value$1,338,100

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

9,201

Median age

51.4

Bachelor's degree+

65.2%

Poverty rate

2.3%

Labor force participation

64.1%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+5.9%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

April 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-06-10

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

-1.1%

GDP CAGR

+5.3%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20209,713
20219,264
20229,007
20238,938
20249,201
GDP (5 years)
2020$16.3B
2021$18.2B
2022$19.1B
2023$19.8B
2024$21.1B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20249,201
20258,820 *
20268,685 *

R² = 49.2% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$21.1B
2025$22.3B *
2026$23.4B *

R² = 97.0% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$159,929/yr
Median rent$3,407/mo
Rent share of income25.6%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$81,194/yr
Mortgage share of income50.8%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate6.2%
State avg5.3%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation64.1%
Poverty rate2.3%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$1,338,100
Median monthly rent$3,407
Price-to-rent ratio32.7x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score50/100
Economic growth84/100
Labor market29/100
Population momentum18/100
Overall stability54/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Rio del Mar CDP, California

City/Town

Part of

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Nearby locations

Seacliff, CAAptos, CAAptos Hills-Larkin Valley, CALa Selva Beach, CACapitola, CA