Population 114,120 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Santa Maria
Household size in Santa Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.69 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.77 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.94 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.92 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.23 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Santa Maria are large by national standards, averaging 3.92 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 3.69 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people, only 29 have larger households.
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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.4 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.3 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.7 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Santa Maria is young: half of its residents are under 30.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Only 30 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people are younger.
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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 22.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than one in five households in Santa Maria (22.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.3 points, even as the national share fell. Only 40 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Maria
Renters in Santa Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 49.1% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 49.9% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.8% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Santa Maria than nationally: 48.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 34.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the northeast. The renter share is up 1.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Santa Maria: just 4.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.7 points, as it has nationally. Santa Maria has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of California cities.
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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Santa Maria was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in California overall, where the median home dates to 1976. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,235 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,305 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,576 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,115 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$880 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Santa Maria costs $2,115 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in California as a whole ($2,229). Rents are up $880 a month from 2006–10, a 71% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 37.4% 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 Maria
Bachelor's degrees in Santa Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Santa Maria: 14.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the west.
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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 62.2% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 58.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 58.7% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 60.9% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About four in ten adults in Santa Maria never finished high school, well above the national share: only 60.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has edged down 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people, only 42 have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Santa Maria: 7.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 1.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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 Maria 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 Maria | 3.92 | 30.7 | 22.3% | 48.8% | 4.7% | 1981 | $2,115 | 14.4% | 60.9% | 7.3% |
| Midco | 2.56 | 56.8 | 13.6% | 12.4% | 17.6% | 1990 | $2,297 | 45.2% | 98.3% | 1.9% |
| Orcutt | 2.94 | 41.8 | 8.9% | 23.4% | 5.8% | 1978 | $2,192 | 32.6% | 89.6% | 4.6% |
| Nipomo | 2.89 | 44.4 | 9.9% | 31.0% | 9.4% | 1994 | $2,120 | 30.2% | 87.3% | 2.7% |
| Guadalupe | 3.96 | 28.0 | 24.8% | 45.4% | 8.9% | 1985 | $1,840 | 10.6% | 56.1% | 13.2% |
| Garey | 2.37 | 51.6 | 6.0% | 15.4% | 0.9% | 1998 | $2,120 | 33.8% | 87.8% | 1.7% |
| Casmalia | 3.50 | 30.0 | 23.6% | 47.9% | 14.4% | 1988 | $1,783 | 17.0% | 65.4% | 11.6% |
| Los Berros | 2.68 | 52.1 | 14.4% | 14.7% | 21.7% | 1985 | $2,243 | 39.0% | 96.7% | 3.7% |
| Huasna | 3.12 | 45.6 | 16.0% | 10.1% | 25.8% | 1981 | $2,494 | 43.1% | 96.0% | 5.1% |
| Sisquoc | 2.36 | 51.0 | 6.9% | 17.7% | 6.7% | 1990 | $1,907 | 33.9% | 88.7% | 2.4% |
| Cuyama | 2.46 | 47.7 | 12.5% | 22.4% | 31.6% | 1957 | $1,050 | 25.7% | 89.7% | 5.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Westminster, CO · Warren, MI · Wake Forest, NC · Visalia, CA · Ventura, CA · Vista, CA · Waterford, MI · West Lafayette, IN · Waco, TX · West Valley City, UT
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 Maria. 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.
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