Population 1,230 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Santa Maria
Household size in Santa Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.70 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.65 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.85 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.17 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.53 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Santa Maria is a place of big households: 3.17 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.70, 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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.3 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.4 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.1 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Santa Maria are younger than 41.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in Texas overall, where the median age is 36.7.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in five households in Santa Maria (19.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.9% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.9 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 2.3% of households in Santa Maria rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About nine in ten owners (92.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Santa Maria than nationally: 12.1%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Santa Maria is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. That is in line with the rest of Texas.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $460 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $388 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $597 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,004 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$544 | +$639 | +$606 |
The median renter in Santa Maria pays $1,004 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 15.0% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 2.0% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Santa Maria: 7.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well 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 Maria
| Period | Santa Maria | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 44.9% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 58.2% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 45.0% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than half of adults in Santa Maria never finished high school, well above the national share: only 45.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.3 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Santa Maria than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 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 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 | 3.17 | 41.3 | 19.8% | 2.3% | 12.1% | 1994 | $1,004 | 7.0% | 45.0% | 4.1% |
| Bluetown | 4.14 | 26.4 | 30.8% | 10.6% | 14.7% | 2006 | $1,009 | 11.2% | 46.6% | 13.0% |
| Bixby | 3.04 | 30.9 | 20.4% | 35.0% | 13.0% | 1988 | $780 | 9.9% | 64.6% | 48.0% |
| Relampago | 2.62 | 64.9 | 11.8% | 0.0% | 13.2% | 1983 | $804 | 2.3% | 34.7% | 27.2% |
| La Feria | 2.88 | 39.3 | 17.1% | 26.7% | 17.5% | 1993 | $1,152 | 14.9% | 74.2% | 6.0% |
| Rangerville | 3.38 | 35.7 | 13.4% | 8.9% | 9.3% | 1996 | $870 | 19.9% | 74.6% | 2.3% |
| Solis | 3.26 | 30.5 | 20.6% | 36.6% | 22.0% | 1995 | $938 | 11.3% | 72.4% | 17.8% |
| Los Indios | 3.73 | 31.9 | 15.3% | 21.1% | 9.0% | 1992 | $910 | 8.6% | 70.8% | 3.5% |
| Progreso | 4.35 | 29.0 | 23.6% | 24.7% | 16.2% | 1996 | $1,024 | 12.1% | 56.1% | 3.7% |
| Mercedes | 3.75 | 31.1 | 19.2% | 27.9% | 13.3% | 1995 | $868 | 12.7% | 62.8% | 10.5% |
| Progreso Lakes | 3.75 | 42.1 | 16.6% | 11.7% | 8.0% | 2004 | $953 | 31.9% | 79.6% | 1.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hammond Crossroads, SC · White Oak, GA · Howes Cave, NY · Holton, IN · Hodgkins, IL · Willard, MI · Highland, WI · Heltonville, IN · Hector, AR · Wetmore, MI
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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