Population 1,676 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Santa Margarita: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Santa Margarita
Household size in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.12 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.22 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.30 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Santa Margarita are small: just 2.22 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.52 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.3 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.7 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.7, Santa Margarita is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Santa Margarita: 4.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Santa Margarita
Renters in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.9% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.8% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Santa Margarita is about as common as it is nationally: 36.8% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in California overall (44.1%). Among homeowners, 39.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −10.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Santa Margarita as nationally: 11.1%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in California overall (7.3%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Santa Margarita are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,065 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,259 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,135 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,020 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$955 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Santa Margarita pays $2,020 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in California as a whole ($2,229). Rent takes 39.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Santa Margarita
Bachelor's degrees in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.0% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.8% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.1% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.5% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Santa Margarita (32.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.5% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.4% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.7% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.8% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Santa Margarita: 95.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Santa Margarita
| Period | Santa Margarita | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Santa Margarita has been strong: just 1.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Santa Margarita compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Margarita | 2.22 | 44.7 | 4.9% | 36.8% | 11.1% | 1984 | $2,020 | 32.5% | 95.8% | 1.1% |
| Garden Farms | 3.19 | 39.8 | 4.0% | 30.5% | 13.9% | 1985 | $2,056 | 38.8% | 95.9% | 1.2% |
| Pozo | 2.38 | 61.7 | 13.2% | 28.0% | 23.9% | 1979 | $2,009 | 25.5% | 98.7% | 3.6% |
| Creston | 2.81 | 50.0 | 9.3% | 26.2% | 13.1% | 1989 | $1,697 | 39.9% | 94.5% | 3.2% |
| San Luis Obispo | 2.42 | 32.3 | 4.6% | 57.2% | 9.6% | 1978 | $2,069 | 51.8% | 94.8% | 7.9% |
| Atascadero | 2.55 | 42.5 | 8.1% | 34.1% | 5.8% | 1985 | $2,107 | 32.7% | 93.7% | 5.3% |
| Avila Beach | 2.25 | 56.4 | 1.4% | 25.7% | 27.3% | 2001 | $2,273 | 79.7% | 98.4% | 0.9% |
| La Panza | 2.58 | 54.1 | 8.4% | 28.7% | 15.1% | 1988 | $1,385 | 28.6% | 94.9% | 4.9% |
| Los Osos | 2.39 | 48.1 | 6.2% | 26.8% | 5.9% | 1976 | $2,053 | 53.2% | 96.8% | 5.3% |
| Morro Bay | 2.09 | 53.6 | 5.4% | 34.1% | 20.6% | 1974 | $1,877 | 47.2% | 95.7% | 6.4% |
| Cayucos | 1.96 | 57.8 | 4.0% | 39.4% | 40.6% | 1975 | $1,816 | 44.5% | 96.5% | 1.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Mentone, IN · Yoncalla, OR · Withee, WI · Wilton, AL · Whitewood, SD · Vernon, AZ · Valley, WA · Vader, WA · Upper Nyack, NY · Trimble, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Santa Margarita. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.