Santa MariaTX
This town of 669 people was settled in 1878.
Is Santa Maria a good place to live?
37% of residents live below the poverty line in Santa Maria, above both Texas’ towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 643 Texas towns, just 4 have a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Santa Maria. Santa Maria has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
669 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Santa Maria: who provides what
Santa Maria is unincorporated, so Cameron County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Santa Maria.
The schools Santa Maria’s kids attend
Below: Two of its 6 schools, each with why it was picked. Public schools: Santa Maria ISD.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Gonzalez ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 224 | D |
| Santa Maria H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 165 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
High risk in Santa Maria, with hurricanes at the top
On expected storm and flood damage, Santa Maria sits above nearly two thirds of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Santa Maria break down as 42% from hurricanes and 28% from cold waves. Federal aid has come to Santa Maria households in 8 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents commute out of Santa Maria
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Santa Maria rose by 28, to 198. Most people who work leave Santa Maria to do it: just 5% work in town. The top destinations are Harlingen (15%), Brownsville (8%) and Weslaco (7%). Half commute less than 22 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Santa Maria stands out in Texas and nationally, with more of its adults who have diabetes
For adults in Santa Maria, the share who have obesity is 41%. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Santa Maria is ahead of Texas on 3 and behind on 20.
| Santa Maria | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Santa Maria | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.7% | 17% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 6.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 43.9% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Santa Maria
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Santa Maria; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Santa Maria residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
About Santa Maria
Census-designated place in Texas, United States
Santa Maria is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 651 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 66 ft
- ZIP code
- 78592
- Area code
- 956
Questions about Santa Maria
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Santa Maria, TX a good place to live?
Santa Maria has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.