Commercial Real Estate Market in Watsonville, CA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: September 30
58 active listings and 1,234 off-market properties in Watsonville, CA. Commercial property asks $1,494/SF to buy and $12.00/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Watsonville, CA spans 135.1 square miles in Santa Cruz County, California. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 30 September 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Watsonville, CA runs 20.8% across the West region in 2025, up from 11% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Watsonville, CA runs 5.8% across the West region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Watsonville, CA runs 7.9% across the West region in 2025, up from 3.7% in 2019. Nearly 3.2x the 2022 low of 2.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Watsonville, CA asks $670/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 8.6% across the West region in 2025, up from 7% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 23.7%
- Civic 17.7%
- Planned_development 15.2%
- Industrial 14.6%
- Open space 13.3%
- Commercial 8.2%
- Mixed use 3.9%
- Agricultural 3.5%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Multiple Residential Medium Density
Single Family Residential Low Density
Environmental Management Open Space
Public Facilities
General Industrial
Multiple Residential Medium Density (RM-2)
The purpose of the multiple residential district Medium Density is to provide rental opportunities for all persons who, by choice or need, may not be purchasing a home and to provide for the development of new subdivisions which meet the density levels prescribed, including planned developments, mini lot subdivisions, condominiums, stock cooperatives, and co…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Watsonville, CA has 84,433 residents in 26,488 households. Density runs 625 people per square mile. Median household income here is $86,685 and median gross rent $1,851 a month.
84,433
Population
26,488
Households
3.2
Avg Household Size
35
Median Age
19%
College-Educated
72%
High-School Grad
135.1 sq mi
ZIP Area
625
Density / Sq Mi
$86,685
Median Household Income
$36,077
Median Earnings
$1,851
Median Rent
$767,200
Median Home Value
Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Watsonville?
Commercial property in Watsonville, CA asks an average of $1,494 per square foot. The 4 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $552/SF, so asking sits 171% above the achieved median. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $670/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Watsonville?
Asking lease rates in Watsonville, CA average $12.00 per square foot per year.
Where does Realmo's Watsonville market data come from?
Realmo compiles Watsonville, CA figures from 6 recent recorded sales, 50 active sale listings, 8 active lease listings, 1,234 tracked off-market properties, the current Watsonville zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 30 September 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 50 active for-sale and 8 active for-lease listings in Watsonville, CA. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 3,643 zoned acres across 20 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 30 September 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at West region level, retail vacancy is reported at West region level, industrial vacancy is reported at West region level and asking prices run materially above recent closed pricing.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 30 September 2026 · How Realmo checks market page data · Report a data issue
