Santa Maria, CA

Census Place

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2024 Population
110,462
US Senator
Alex Padilla
Democratic Party
US Senator
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party
2024 Poverty Rate
17.3%
11.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$84,746
0.152% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$531,700
11.2% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
49,184
0.425% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Santa Maria, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

77.5% of the residents in Santa Maria, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Santa Maria, CA are Allan Hancock College (2,984 degrees awarded in 2023), CET-Santa Maria (78 degrees), and San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria (72 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Santa Maria, CA was $531,700, and the homeownership rate was 50.2%.

Most people in Santa Maria, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Santa Maria, CA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesCaliforniaSanta Barbara County, CASanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CASan Luis Obispo County (West)--Coastal Region PUMA, CASan Luis Obispo County (East)--Inland Region PUMA, CASanta Barbara County (Northwest)--Santa Maria City & Orcutt PUMA, CASanta Barbara County (North)--Lompoc, Guadalupe, Solvang & Buellton Cities PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Santa Maria, CA is home to a population of 110k people, from which 77.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 33% of Santa Maria, CA residents were born outside of the country (36.4k people).

In 2024, there were 1.99 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (45.3k people) in Santa Maria, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 22.7k Other (Hispanic) and 15.3k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

77.5%
2024 Citizenship
77.3%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 77.5% of Santa Maria, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Santa Maria, CA was 77.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Santa Maria, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Santa Maria, CA
  1. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    45.3k ± 3.07k
  2. Other (Hispanic)
    22.7k ± 2.18k
  3. White (Non-Hispanic)
    15.3k ± 1.19k
79.1%
Hispanic Population
87.4k people

In 2024, there were 1.99 times more Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents (45.3k people) in Santa Maria, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 22.7k Other (Hispanic) and 15.3k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

79.1% of the people in Santa Maria, CA are hispanic (87.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Santa Maria, CA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
  2. Philippines
    824,246 ± 22,054 people
  3. China
    687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

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Foreign-Born Population

33%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
36.4k people
32.7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
35.9k people

As of 2024, 33% of Santa Maria, CA residents (36.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Santa Maria, CA was 32.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Santa Maria, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    1,179 ± 201
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    745 ± 273
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    301 ± 111

Santa Maria, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.58 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Santa Maria, CA.

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Economy

The economy of Santa Maria, CA employs 49.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Santa Maria, CA were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (11,093 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,158 people), and Retail Trade (5,035 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($250,001), Public Administration ($65,269), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,825).

Employment

Occupations

49.2k
2024 Value
± 1,939
0.425%
1 Year growth
± 5.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Santa Maria, CA grew at a rate of 0.425%, from 49k employees to 49.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Santa Maria, CA, are Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (9,642 people), Sales & Related Occupations (4,255 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,563 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Santa Maria, CA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

49.2k
2024 Value
± 1,939
0.425%
1 Year growth
± 5.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Santa Maria, CA grew at a rate of 0.425%, from 49k employees to 49.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Santa Maria, CA, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (11,093 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,158 people), and Retail Trade (5,035 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Santa Maria, CA, though some of these residents may live in Santa Maria, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$39,668
Median earning men ± $2,042
$29,881
Median earning women ± $1,842

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($101,000), Manufacturing ($72,622), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,411).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($52,000), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($45,521), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,180).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Y-Axis
2.57%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Santa Maria, CA. Showing the available data for California.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (58.5%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Alex Padilla
Senator from California3
Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.
Adam Schiff
Senator from California1
Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Santa Maria, CA awarded 3,134 degrees. The student population of Santa Maria, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 5,232 male students and 6,160 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Santa Maria, CA are Hispanic or Latino (2,140 and 68.3%), White (658 and 21%), Two or More Races (127 and 4.06%), and Asian (89 and 2.84%).

The largest universities in Santa Maria, CA by number of degrees awarded are Allan Hancock College (2,984 and 95.2%), CET-Santa Maria (78 and 2.49%), and San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria (72 and 2.3%).

The most popular majors in Santa Maria, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,339 and 42.7%), Biological & Physical Sciences (269 and 8.58%), and General Business Administration & Management (108 and 3.45%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 11,392 students enrolled in Santa Maria, CA, 45.9% men and 54.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 8,143 records, of which 56.1% were women and 43.9% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    405 degrees awarded
  2. Biological & Physical Sciences
    269 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    108 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Santa Maria, CA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 405 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Santa Maria, CA according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Allan Hancock College
    2,984 degrees awarded
  2. CET-Santa Maria
    78 degrees awarded
  3. San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria
    72 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Allan Hancock College with 2,984 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 1,264 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Santa Maria, CA, which is 0.676 times less than the 1,870 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 2,140 degrees mean that there were 3.25 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 658 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,104) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($42) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,152) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Santa Maria, CA was $531,700 in 2024, which is 1.6 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $478,200 to $531,700, a 11.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Santa Maria, CA is 50.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Santa Maria, CA have an average commute time of 22.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Santa Maria, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$531,700
Median Property Value 2024
±$13,762
$14,812
Median Property Taxes
±$900

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Santa Maria, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Santa Maria, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

50.2%
Homeownership
2024
72.9%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 50.2% of the housing units in Santa Maria, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 51.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Santa Maria, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$84,746
Median Household Income
± $4,196
29.5k
Number of Households
± 1,373

In 2024, the median household income of the 29.5k households in Santa Maria, CA grew to $84,746 from the previous year's value of $84,617.

The following chart displays the households in Santa Maria, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Santa Maria, CA is from California.
0.495
2023 Wage GINI in California
0.498
2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (71.3%)
  2. Carpooled (18.8%)
  3. Worked At Home (4.68%)

In 2024, 71.3% of workers in Santa Maria, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (18.8%) and those who worked at home (4.68%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

22.4 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Santa Maria, CA have a shorter commute time (22.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.15% of the workforce in Santa Maria, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Santa Maria, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Santa Maria, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Santa Maria, CA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Santa Maria, CA (18.9k out of 109k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males < 5 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Santa Maria, CA is Hispanic, followed by Two Or More and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

85.1% of the population of Santa Maria, CA has health coverage, with 27.5% on employee plans, 41.2% on Medicaid, 6.45% on Medicare, 9.08% on non-group plans, and 0.834% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 33.1% under 18 years, 24.5% between 18 and 34 years, 31.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

14.9%
Uninsured
27.5%
Employer Coverage
41.2%
Medicaid
6.45%
Medicare
9.08%
Non-Group
0.834%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Santa Maria, CA declined by 4.12% from 15.5% to 14.9%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Santa Maria, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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