Population 8,184 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Solvang
Household size in Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.31 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Solvang is a place of small households, averaging 2.25 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.56, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 40 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have smaller 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 Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.7 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.2 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.2 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Solvang skews older: half of its residents are older than 53.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.7, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 18 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people are older.
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 Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.6% of households in Solvang, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 5.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Solvang has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of California cities.
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 Solvang
Renters in Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.9% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.9% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Solvang rent their homes (41.9%), above the national share of 34.8%. Nearly half of owners (47.0%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is up 5.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Solvang is close to the national rate: 8.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.6 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Solvang are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in California as a whole, where the median home dates to 1976. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the south has the oldest housing.
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 Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,427 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,589 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,555 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,064 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$636 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Solvang costs $2,064 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in California overall ($2,229). Rent has climbed $636 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Solvang
Bachelor's degrees in Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 40.3% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.0% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Solvang than nationally: 41.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the south.
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 Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.5% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.1% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Solvang is a bit above the national rate: 91.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Solvang
| Period | Solvang | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.2% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Solvang runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has edged down 0.5 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Solvang 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solvang | 2.25 | 53.2 | 6.6% | 41.9% | 8.6% | 1981 | $2,064 | 41.6% | 91.3% | 4.3% |
| Santa Ynez | 2.85 | 43.4 | 12.4% | 28.5% | 16.3% | 1979 | $2,367 | 35.7% | 92.2% | 4.5% |
| Buellton | 2.73 | 40.6 | 13.5% | 41.0% | 14.1% | 1996 | $2,050 | 40.4% | 91.1% | 2.2% |
| Los Olivos | 2.26 | 57.0 | 7.0% | 11.4% | 9.5% | 1980 | $2,051 | 58.1% | 96.6% | 4.7% |
| Las Cruces | 2.61 | 46.8 | 5.9% | 62.1% | 16.6% | 1968 | $1,917 | 39.3% | 85.5% | 0.3% |
| Los Alamos | 2.39 | 54.4 | 5.9% | 28.2% | 16.7% | 1992 | $2,569 | 23.1% | 90.0% | 4.7% |
| Surf | 2.69 | 48.1 | 6.8% | 62.3% | 16.8% | 1968 | $1,917 | 39.9% | 83.5% | 0.0% |
| Lompoc | 2.90 | 36.5 | 17.5% | 48.3% | 6.7% | 1974 | $1,814 | 14.6% | 74.4% | 6.8% |
| Vandenberg Village | 2.66 | 44.5 | 6.3% | 25.7% | 6.6% | 1971 | $2,410 | 38.2% | 94.9% | 9.1% |
| Vandenberg AFB | 2.78 | 25.1 | 7.5% | 100.0% | 1.4% | 2001 | $2,745 | 47.8% | 100.0% | 6.2% |
| Vandenberg Air Force Base | 3.31 | 23.3 | 7.5% | 100.0% | 1.4% | 2001 | $2,745 | 55.8% | 100.0% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cumberland Hill, RI · Del Monte Forest, CA · Dayton, NJ · Davisburg, MI · Dardanelle, AR · Dalzell, SC · Dallastown, PA · Dalhart, TX · Dagsboro, DE · Cusseta, GA
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 Solvang. 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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