Santa Maria, CA

Census Place

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2022 Population

109,543

0.214% 1-year growth

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Laphonza Butler

Democratic Party

2022 Median Age

29.3

0.342% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

13.5%

5.42% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$81,237

10.8% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$438,100

16.5% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

48,898

0.281% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Santa Maria, CA had a population of 110k people with a median age of 29.3 and a median household income of $81,237. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Santa Maria, CA grew from 109,309 to 109,543, a 0.214% increase and its median household income grew from $73,300 to $81,237, a 10.8% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Santa Maria, CA are White (Hispanic) (35.2%), Two+ (Hispanic) (27.1%), White (Non-Hispanic) (15%), Other (Hispanic) (13.3%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (4.49%).

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.

76.7% of the residents in Santa Maria, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Santa Maria, CA are Allan Hancock College (3,289 degrees awarded in 2022), CET-Santa Maria (75 degrees), and San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria (66 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Santa Maria, CA was $438,100, and the homeownership rate was 51.2%.

Most people in Santa Maria, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Santa Maria, CA was 2 cars per household.

United States California Santa Barbara County, CA Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA San Luis Obispo County (West)--Coastal Region PUMA, CA San Luis Obispo County (East)--Inland Region PUMA, CA Santa Barbara County (Northwest)--Santa Maria City & Orcutt PUMA, CA Santa 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 76.7% are citizens. As of 2022, 33.1% of Santa Maria, CA residents were born outside of the country (36.3k people).

In 2022, there were 1.3 times more White (Hispanic) residents (38.5k people) in Santa Maria, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 29.7k Two+ (Hispanic) and 16.4k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

76.7%

2022 Citizenship

76.5%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 76.7% of Santa Maria, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Santa Maria, CA was 76.5%, 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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Santa Maria, CA

White (Hispanic)
38.5k ± 2.61k
Two+ (Hispanic)
29.7k ± 2.4k
White (Non-Hispanic)
16.4k ± 1.23k

77.8%

Hispanic Population

85.2k people

77.8% of the people in Santa Maria, CA are hispanic (85.2k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Santa Maria, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,899,021 ± 46,015 people
Philippines
824,230 ± 22,055 people
China
685,370 ± 20,148 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,899,021 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,230 and China with 685,370.

Foreign-Born Population

33.1%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

36.3k people

33.2%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

36.3k people

As of 2022, 33.1% of Santa Maria, CA residents (36.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Santa Maria, CA was 33.2%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,109 ± 199
Gulf War (2001-)
901 ± 277
Gulf War (1990s)
297 ± 153

Santa Maria, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.23 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Santa Maria, CA employs 48.9k people. The largest industries in Santa Maria, CA are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (11,603 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,295 people), and Retail Trade (5,018 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($128,250), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($84,336), and Public Administration ($60,799).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $75,777. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.498, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

48.9k

2022 Value

± 1,869

0.281%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Santa Maria, CA grew at a rate of 0.281%, from 48.8k employees to 48.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Santa Maria, CA, are Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (9,700 people), Sales & Related Occupations (4,300 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,785 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Santa Maria, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

48.9k

2022 Value

± 1,869

0.281%

1 Year growth

± 5.43%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Santa Maria, CA grew at a rate of 0.281%, from 48.8k employees to 48.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Santa Maria, CA, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (11,603 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,295 people), and Retail Trade (5,018 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,181

Median earning men ± $1,259

$28,752

Median earning women ± $1,258

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Public Administration ($80,436), Information ($75,781), and Manufacturing ($62,589).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Construction ($58,421), Public Administration ($48,567), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,295).

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.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%).

Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler 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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Santa Maria, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (63.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (34.3%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.07%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

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.

Laphonza Butler

Senator from California

Assumed office on October 3, 2023
Appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler 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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Santa Maria, CA awarded 3,430 degrees. The student population of Santa Maria, CA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 4,845 male students and 5,703 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Santa Maria, CA are Hispanic or Latino (2,278 and 66.5%), followed by White (772 and 22.5%), Asian (124 and 3.62%), and Two or More Races (91 and 2.66%).

The largest universities in Santa Maria, CA by number of degrees awarded are Allan Hancock College (3,289 and 95.9%), CET-Santa Maria (75 and 2.19%), and San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria (66 and 1.92%).

The most popular majors in Santa Maria, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,451 and 42.3%), Biological & Physical Sciences (359 and 10.5%), and General Psychology (125 and 3.64%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 10,548 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 7,349 records, of which 56.4% were women and 43.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Biological & Physical Sciences
359 degrees awarded
General Psychology
125 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
542 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Santa Maria, CA was Biological & Physical Sciences with 359 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Allan Hancock College
3,289 degrees awarded
CET-Santa Maria
75 degrees awarded
San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria
66 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Allan Hancock College with 3,289 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 1,329 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Santa Maria, CA, which is 0.633 times less than the 2,101 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 2,278 degrees mean that there were 2.95 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 772 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,104) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($42) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 2.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.26% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (6.9M), High School or Equivalent (6.8M), and Bachelors Degree (6.36M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Santa Maria, CA was $438,100 in 2022, which is 1.55 times larger than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $376,100 to $438,100, a 16.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Santa Maria, CA is 51.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Santa Maria, CA have an average commute time of 22.1 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.

Median household income in Santa Maria, CA is $81,237. In 2022, the place with the highest median household income in Santa Maria, CA was Census Tract 22.10 with a value of $96,745, followed by Census Tract 22.11 and Census Tract 23.03, with respective values of $85,349 and $84,696.

Housing

Property

$438,100

Median Property Value 2022

±$8,346

$14,710

Median Property Taxes

±$869

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.

Rent vs Own

51.2%

Homeownership

2022

70.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 51.2% of the housing units in Santa Maria, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 50.9%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 22.10
Census Tract 22.11
Census Tract 23.03

In 2022, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Santa Maria, CA was Census Tract 22.10 with a value of $96,745, followed by Census Tract 22.11 and Census Tract 23.03, with respective values of $85,349 and $84,696.

The following map shows all of the places in Santa Maria, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$81,237

Median Household Income

± $2,331

28.7k

Number of Households

± 1,322

In 2022, the median household income of the 28.7k households in Santa Maria, CA grew to $81,237 from the previous year's value of $73,300.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Santa Maria, CA is from California.

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

In 2022, the income inequality in California was 0.498 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.107% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (71%)
Carpooled (20.3%)
Worked At Home (4.91%)

In 2022, 71% of workers in Santa Maria, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (20.3%) and those who worked at home (4.91%).

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.

Commute Time

22.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Santa Maria, CA have a shorter commute time (22.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 1.23% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Santa Maria, CA (14.6k out of 108k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males < 5.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

84.1% of the population of Santa Maria, CA has health coverage, with 30.6% on employee plans, 37.3% on Medicaid, 6.74% on Medicare, 8.58% on non-group plans, and 0.869% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Santa Barbara County, CA see 1316 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.0759% decrease from the previous year (1317 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1133 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 163 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Santa Barbara County, CA.

1,316 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Santa Barbara County, CA

Primary care physicians in Santa Barbara County, CA see an average of 1,316 patients per year. This represents a 0.0759% decrease from the previous year (1,317 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Santa Barbara County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 33.5% under 18 years, 24.6% between 18 and 34 years, 31.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

15.9%

Uninsured

30.6%

Employer Coverage

37.3%

Medicaid

6.74%

Medicare

8.58%

Non-Group

0.869%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Santa Maria, CA declined by 4.64% from 16.7% to 15.9%.

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.

Keep Exploring

California

State

Santa Barbara County, CA

County

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

MSA

United States

Nation