Santa Maria, CA metro area
The Santa Maria metro area, officially Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, is home to 442,065 people, down 1.0% since 2021. In 2025 its typical household earned $102,279, above the U.S. median of $84,780, and the median rent was $2,283 a month.
Compare Santa Maria with another metro ↗ See the national rent report ↗
What it takes to live here
Rent and home prices measured against what local households earn.
To keep rent at the common guideline of 30% of income, a household would need about $91,300 a year to afford the median rent in the Santa Maria area (U.S.: $62,300). In practice, the typical renter here spends 36.9% of household income on rent, the 19th highest share of 393 metro areas, and 61% of renter households pay 30% or more (U.S.: 52%).
For buyers, the median home value of $857,900 is 8.4 times the median household income, compared with 4.4 times nationally, which makes ownership comparatively hard to reach.
How it has changed
Change since 2021 compared with the whole United States.
Since 2021, rent in the Santa Maria area has risen +22.8% while household income changed +20.5%. Rents have outpaced incomes, so renting has become less affordable.
| 2021 | 2024 | 2025 | Change since 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $84,846 | $95,637 | $102,279 | +20.5% |
| Median rent | $1,859 | $2,108 | $2,283 | +22.8% |
| Median home value | $669,000 | $900,900 | $857,900 | +28.2% |
| Population | 446,475 | 444,500 | 442,065 | −1.0% |
Who lives and works here
Education, jobs and commuting compared with the national picture.
| Santa Maria | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.0 | 39.5 |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher | 37.6% | 37.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.9% |
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 11.8% |
| Workers who work from home | 10.5% | 12.9% |
| Average one-way commute | 20.6 min | 27.4 min |
| Households that rent | 45% | 35% |
Where Santa Maria ranks
Position among all 393 U.S. metropolitan areas with 2025 1-year data.
| Measure | Rank among 393 U.S. metro areas |
|---|---|
| Median household income | 27th highest |
| Median rent | 6th highest |
| Median home value | 12th highest |
| Rent as share of income | 19th highest |
| Population | 125th largest |
| Population growth since 2021 | 322nd fastest |
Similar-sized metro areas
The metros closest in population, side by side.
| Metro area | Income | Rent | Home value | Rent / income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria, CA | $102,279 | $2,283 | $857,900 | 36.9% |
| Ocala, FL | $63,917 | $1,452 | $286,000 | 29.7% |
| Reading, PA | $82,220 | $1,376 | $307,100 | 34.7% |
| Salem, OR | $85,726 | $1,599 | $448,300 | 31.8% |
| Savannah, GA | $86,076 | $1,750 | $359,400 | 34.6% |
| Brownsville, TX | $62,542 | $1,064 | $183,300 | 27.9% |
| Salinas, CA | $103,771 | $2,027 | $862,000 | 28.6% |
Santa Maria at a glance
What salary do you need to live in Santa Maria?+
To pay the 2025 median rent of $2,283 a month while spending no more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $91,300 a year. The median household income in the Santa Maria metro area is $102,279.
How much is rent in Santa Maria?+
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) in the Santa Maria metro area was $2,283 a month in 2025, according to the Census Bureau, compared with $1,557 nationally. It has changed +22.8% since 2021.
Is Santa Maria affordable?+
Renters in the Santa Maria area spend a median 36.9% of income on rent (U.S. 30.9%), and the median home costs 8.4 times the median income (U.S. 4.4). By both measures it is more expensive than the national average.
What is the median household income in Santa Maria?+
$102,279 in 2025, +20.5% since 2021. That ranks 27th of 393 U.S. metro areas.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates (released September 2026), with 2024 and 2021 for trends. Figures are survey estimates with margins of error; small differences between metros may not be meaningful. Metro areas use the official Metropolitan Statistical Area boundaries. Compiled and analyzed by Metro Research. Methodology.