United States › California › Santa Maria CITY
Santa Maria California · 111,390 residents (2025 est.) · 22.8 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Santa Maria is home to 110,462 people in California. This skews young, with a median age of 29.3. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. 33% of residents were born outside the United States. The population is up 43% since 2000. Owners hold 50% of the housing stock.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 29.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 108%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 77,423 in 2000
111,390 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
4,843 / sq mi
+29%since 2009
from 3,750 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 29.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
56K 71K 86K 101K 115K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Santa Maria Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $84,746
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,541 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $13,780 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 26.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 19.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.417 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 22.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing 2.9%
Public administration 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.8%
Education & health services 0.3%
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$531,700
+108%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $140,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,925
+57%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $675 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 55.9% in 2000
49.8% rent
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 3.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 45.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 57.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 7.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 32%(24,742)
Hispanic / Latino 59.7%(46,196)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 13.8%(15,293)
Hispanic / Latino 79.1%(87,357)
from 60 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 61.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 66.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 25.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 64.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 71.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 18.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 33.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 11.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 27.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 72.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 91.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 35.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 58.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 46.4%(18,861)
Women 15+
Never married 41.3%(17,310)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 27.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 37.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 7.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 11.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 37.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 44.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 45.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 26.2%(745)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.4%(410)
Share of the 2,846 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Santa Maria, California? Santa Maria, California has about 110,462 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Santa Maria, California? The typical household in Santa Maria, California earns about $84,746 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Santa Maria, California expensive? In Santa Maria, California, the median home is worth about $531,700, and the typical rent is about $1,925 a month.
How educated are people in Santa Maria, California? About 15.7% of adults age 25 and over in Santa Maria, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Santa Maria, California? About 17.3% of people in Santa Maria, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has Santa Maria, California grown since 1990? Yes, Santa Maria, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 49,178 residents, a change of about 80 percent over that period.
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