Santa Maria, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Santa Maria, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 102,938 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4395.6 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.22% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 26.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 27,397 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Santa Maria grew by 31.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 102,938 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Santa Maria is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.7% of residents. That is 6.0 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 28,534 27.7% +6.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 21,178 20.6% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 16,209 15.7% -4.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,254 10.0% -5.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Santa Maria and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% California 49.9%
- Men 49.9% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Santa Maria
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Economy
Santa Maria has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,540 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.08% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Santa Maria is about 18% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $355,467 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,919 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Santa Maria is about 15.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,919 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Santa Maria spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.7 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.3 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,341 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.5% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,480 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,453 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Santa Maria is 21 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Santa Maria has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.5% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.71 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Santa Maria has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Santa Maria | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Santa Maria, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Santa Maria, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria, CA | 102,938 | $81,540 #2/2 | $355,467 #2/2 | 20.7 min #2/2 |
| Orcutt, CA | 25,534 | $104,449 | $575,071 | 17.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Santa Maria, California.
How big is Santa Maria, California by population?
About 102,938 people live in Santa Maria, California, in 27,397 households of 3.7 people on average. The median age is 26.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
How densely populated is Santa Maria, California?
Averaged over its land area, Santa Maria, California has 4,396 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 51 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Santa Maria, California?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($355,467 against $81,540), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,919 a month takes about 28% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Santa Maria, California?
Unemployment in Santa Maria, California is 7.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Santa Maria, California have a college degree?
12.5% of adults in Santa Maria, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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