Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Guadalupe earns a D, ranked 594th of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $67K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 83% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Guadalupe, above both the California town median (10%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 31 of California’s 426 towns score higher on safety. Guadalupe's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns.
Where Guadalupe beats most towns.
7,080 counted in 2010 and 8,057 in 2020; an estimated 8,846 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 9.1% since 2020, after 13.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Guadalupe is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 174 in 1880, 8,057 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Guadalupe, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Guadalupe.
Guadalupe fares better on crime within California than nationally and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has poverty well above the California rate.
36% of Guadalupe adults say their health is fair or poor. Guadalupe beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 38% of Guadalupe adults get no exercise outside work.
| Guadalupe | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 22% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 24% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 66% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Guadalupe | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.1% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 26.5% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Guadalupe Union Elementary school district. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Buren ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 738 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Guadalupe for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Guadalupe has lost 64 jobs, to 1,005 in 2023. The top destinations are Santa Maria (32%), San Luis Obispo (6%) and Los Angeles (3%).
| Guadalupe | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Guadalupe | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Le Roy Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Francisco "Paco" Pereyra Memorial Park | — | 1 |
| 3. Cielo Playground | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Home values rose 29% in five years, to about $558K, against 13% across California. 68.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California.
The typical Guadalupe home is worth about $558,000, up 1.2% in a year, 27% below the California typical home. 55% of households own their home in Guadalupe.
| Guadalupe | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,732 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 11.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 93% of California’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 13 reported in 2025, 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Guadalupe is 6.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Guadalupe | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.2 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 44.2°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 70.1°.
Guadalupe has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Guadalupe’s July high is 70°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Guadalupe | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 70°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 44°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Guadalupe
About 5 of every 100 Guadalupe residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Guadalupe’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in California, United States
Guadalupe is a small city located in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 8,057. Guadalupe is economically and socially tied to the city of Santa Maria, which is about 8 miles (13 km) to the east. It is located at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 166, immediately south of the Santa Maria River, and 5 miles (8 km) east of the Pacific Ocean.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Guadalupe grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #594 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health, B+ for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 5.7 years of the area's median household income ($98,161 across the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.