Santa Cruz is considered as the service and commercial center on the eastern part of the province. Although relatively far from the immediate urbanizing influence of Metropolitan Manila, Santa Cruz continues to progress. It is now classified as municipality. Santa Cruz is also the seat of the provincial government since 1885, giving the municipality an additional administrative function over the entire province. It also functions as the service center for transportation, commerce, health, education, and other social services for the predominantly rural north-eastern municipalities of the province. Boosting the economy of the municipality are the incipient and fast-growing agribusiness industries such as livestock raising, horticulture and aquaculture. The town is composed of twenty-six (26) urban barangays. All barangays are being classified as urban.
Commerce The provincial capital of Laguna, Santa Cruz serves as service center of the province particularly for the municipalities on its north-eastern part. Trade and commerce remain to be one of the primary economic activities in the locality. The presence of jeepney services plying Lumban, Paete, Siniloan, San Pablo, Pila, Victoria,
Cavinti-Caliraya,
Luisiana,
Majayjay, Calumpang, Nagcarlan, Liliw, Magdalena, Pagsanjan,
Lucban,
Lucena and
Calamba has further enhanced the municipality's role as a commerce and trade center. The center of business activities is in the poblacion specifically at Barangay V where the four (4) buildings of Public Market is situated. Santa Cruz has many establishment that contribute to its development. Development in this vicinity has been a quasi-residential commercial type as manifested by the proliferation of structures which are used both for business and residential purposes by the proprietors/owners. There is also a concentration of business establishments at the section of the national highway/expressway especially Barangay Gatid where a Mall is located, and the abandoned PNR Railway (road) while a strip pattern of commercial development is noticeable along the Quezon Avenue and along the old highway and Pedro Guevarra Avenue. Along P Guevarra Avenue, several establishments are also located such as Hospitals, Meralco office, PLDT office, Red Cross, several Banking Institutions, and Executive Eminent Lending Company. There is also
SL Agritech Corporation, in Barangay Oogong, Santa Cruz, Laguna.
Tax collection Annual local government collection: • 2008 —
₱ 160,196,679.38 • 2007 — ₱ 135,792,097.46 • 2006 — ₱ 128,812,429.41 • 2005 — ₱ 117,351,293.14 ==Tourism==