United States › Santa Maria METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS
Santa Maria Metro Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA · 1 counties · 369,608 residents · 2,734 sq mi
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The short version
Santa Maria is a metro area of 369,608 people. The typical home is worth $249,200. Owners hold 55% of the housing stock. Median rent is $654 a month. About 27% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Median household income runs $35,677, well clear of the $30,130 US median.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 31.8
US median: 33.0
More educated
27% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth vs 33.4 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
362K 385K 409K 433K 456K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Santa Maria Age distribution, 1990
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $35,677
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $46,677 in 2000
US average: $30,130
vs $23,059 in 2000
US average: $14,340
vs 14.3% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
$249,200
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $264,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
$654
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $830 in 2000
US average: $450
vs 56.1% in 2000
45.3% rent
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 56.9%(227,083)
Hispanic / Latino 34.2%(136,668)
1990
White, non-Hispanic 77.2%(285,411)
Hispanic / Latino 26.3%(97,084)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data Asian origin
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data vs 29.4% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
vs 79.2% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
vs 11.4% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06
Commute & transportation vs 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07
Work & employment No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 44.1%(79,563)
Women 15+
Never married 38.7%(70,133)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
from 18.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 48.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 24.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 64.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 38.2% 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) 20%(3,160)
Gulf War (1990s) 17.8%(2,801)
Share of the 15,770 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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities Santa MariaCENTRAL 111,390 Santa BarbaraCENTRAL 86,422 Lompoc 43,315 Goleta 32,401 Orcutt 31,454 Eastern Goleta Valley 28,295 Isla Vista 13,920 Carpinteria 12,734 University of California-Santa Barbara 12,121 Montecito 9,031 Guadalupe 8,846 Vandenberg 6,776 Solvang 5,944 Buellton 5,158 Santa Ynez 4,467 Mission Hills 3,859 Vandenberg AFB 3,477 Mission Canyon 2,357 Toro Canyon 1,477 Summerland 1,348 Los Alamos 1,163 Los Olivos 1,038 Ballard 863 New Cuyama 555 Sisquoc 158 Casmalia 55 Garey 28 Cuyama 21 What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA? Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA has about 369,608 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA? The typical household in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA earns about $35,677 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA expensive? In Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, the median home is worth about $249,200, and the typical rent is about $654 a month.
How educated are people in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA? About 26.6% of adults age 25 and over in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA? About 12.8% of people in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA live below the federal poverty line.
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