Patrick W. Murphy Ranch, 1882
Santa Margarita’s story
159 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1882 and 4 maps from 1897 on.
- 1867Santa Margarita is settled
Santa MargaritaCA
The town, settled in 1867, counts 1,149 residents.
Photo: bill mulder from santa margarita, usa · CC BY 2.0
Population
1,149
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$684K
Census ACS
Median age
37.5
years
Jobs based here
184
A commuter town
Settled
1867
159 years ago
Is Santa Margarita a good place to live?
The best of Santa Margarita’s subject grades is an A for health; the weakest is a D− for cost of living. On cost of living, just 77 of California’s 1,058 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Santa Margarita has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
How Santa Margarita grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Santa Margarita is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $684K, 7 years of the San Luis Obispo metro’s $97K median household incomeD−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listD−Open →HealthAdventist Health Sierra Vista 7.5 miles awayAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.8 of 20; 30.2% of households have no carA−Open →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 87° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives here34% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
What makes Santa Margarita stand out
Where Santa Margarita beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Small town
1,149 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Santa Margarita.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Santa Margarita faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
96risk score of 100
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Santa Margarita after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2023. Expected losses in Santa Margarita break down as 50% from inland flooding and 33% from wildfires.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Santa Margarita’s schools beat 70% of California districts
70%of CA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
Public schools: the Atascadero Unified school district. Its one school is below. Santa Margarita’s only public school teaches 297 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Margarita ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 297 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Residents of Santa Margarita are healthier than 85% of U.S. towns
85%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
Santa Margarita: 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours, below both the California town median (35%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). On the CDC’s 32 measures, Santa Margarita is ahead of California on 13 and behind on 2. 72% of adults had a checkup this year locally.
| Santa Margarita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 35% |
32 measures vs. California
13 better17 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Santa Margarita | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.4% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.6% | 6.4% |
Adventist Health Sierra Vista
7.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commute
Santa Margarita stands out in California and nationally: a smaller share of its residents live below the poverty line
2%work in town
The top destinations are San Luis Obispo (20%), Atascadero (14%) and El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) (7%). Since 2013, Santa Margarita has lost 42 jobs, to 184 in 2023. The town’s average commute stands at 21 minutes, against 28 minutes in California’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. For most workers, Santa Margarita is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town.
| Santa Margarita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Santa Margarita2%
San Luis Obispo20%
Atascadero14%
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)7%
Templeton5%
13 mi
median commute distance
184
jobs based in Santa Margarita
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 75% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Santa Margarita: mild winters and pleasant summers
87°summer high
July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 38° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–63°
Spring43–71°
Summer53–85°
Fall46–78°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Mar 15
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
87°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer children than California overall
37.5median age · CA 37.9
For adults 25 and older in Santa Margarita, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 35%. Children under 18 are 14% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 23% of residents (16% statewide). The town’s median age comes in at 37.5 years.
| Santa Margarita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.5 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 29% | 29% |
Santa MargaritaCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
27%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school25%
Some college30%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 33% and 80% women
The Census survey reached too few of Santa Margarita’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±23.4 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Santa Margarita | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 27% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 21.9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.9% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.3% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.4% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 30% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.7% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsC
0.5% of the land in Santa Margarita is protected from building
0.5%conserved
In Santa Margarita, the concentration of trails is 0.4 miles per square mile. Trails run 0.2 miles in 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves locally: one, of 2 acres.
| Santa Margarita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
0.5%
conserved · 2 of 330 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Santa Margarita Community Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D−
The median home in Santa Margarita sells for about $800K
$800Kmedian sale price
In Santa Margarita, 53% of households live in a home they own.
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Santa Margarita
18pages on Santa Margarita
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →Hearst Castle and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Santa Margarita. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi State parkHearst Castle
8 mi MuseumMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa14 mi LandmarkLanding of the first Filipinos
25 mi MuseumMission San Miguel Arcángel
17 mi State parkMontaña de Oro State Park6 mi Zoo & aquariumCharles Paddock ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Hearst Castle: No machine-readable author provided. Urban~commonswiki assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa: Stephen Lea, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mission San Miguel Arcángel: Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Montaña de Oro State Park: BorisFromStockdale, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Santa Margarita: who provides what
Santa Margarita is unincorporated, so San Luis Obispo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSlo Cwwd No. 23 - Santa Margarita water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSan Luis Obispo County Clerk-ElectionsSan Luis Obispo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2020
ZIP code9345393453 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Santa Margarita for work
Where Santa Margarita’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
184jobs based in Santa Margarita
2%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Santa Margarita
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoUniversity or college · Public · San Luis Obispo6.8 mi$13,596 in-state tuitionCuesta CollegeCommunity college · Public · San Luis Obispo8.6 mi$1,350 in-state tuitionLaurus CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · San Luis Obispo9.1 mi
College town 16 of every 100 Santa Margarita residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Santa Margarita
Place in California, United States
Santa Margarita (Spanish for "St. Margaret") is an unincorporated community located in San Luis Obispo County, California. It was founded in 1889 near Cuesta Peak and San Luis Obispo along today's State Route 58. The town's name comes from the Mexican Alta California land grant of Rancho Santa Margarita. It is home to the Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia site. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Santa Margarita as a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 1,291 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,014 ft
- ZIP code
- 93453
- Area code
- 805
Questions about Santa Margarita
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Santa Margarita, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $684,000, 10% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
Santa Margarita is in here
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