Half of Vandenberg Village’s homes were built after 1970
More historic than 5% of U.S. towns · #768 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Vandenberg Village was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1970. Below: maps from 1947 on and the census since 1970.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Vandenberg Village is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #768 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Vandenberg Village’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Vandenberg Village’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Vandenberg Village’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Vandenberg Village yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Vandenberg Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The population was 7,308 at the 2020 census, up from 6,497 at the 2010 census. It is a community situated in the hills north of Lompoc, California. While shops and markets can be found in Vandenberg Village, many residents commute to nearby Lompoc on a daily basis. It is close to Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 6,497 to 7,308 (+12%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Vandenberg Village. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1947Lompoc sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Vandenberg Village.
People over time
Vandenberg Village, census by census
Between 4,874 and 7,308 people in every census since 1970.
6 censuses, 1970–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Vandenberg Village’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Vandenberg Village
Nobody well known was born in Vandenberg Village itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Vandenberg Village is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #768 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Vandenberg Village?
0.0% of Vandenberg Village’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1970.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2016
2016
2010
