The study reveals that low-income households in Santa Cruz are particularly vulnerable to rising water costs driven by climate change. Under a dry climate scenario, median water bills for low-income households could increase from $60 to $111 per month, with affordability burdens rising from 3.9% to 7.3% of household income. High-income households, in contrast, experience negligible impacts. Additionally, increased precipitation variability and higher temperatures could necessitate costly infrastructure investments, further straining affordability. Without policy interventions, more than one-third of households may struggle to afford water, forcing trade-offs between essential expenditures.