Santa Maria, Texas

Santa Maria is a small place in Cameron County, Texas, in the United States. It is known as a census-designated place, which means it is a community that the government counts for population purposes but does not have its own city government. In the year 2020, the number of people living there was 651.

Santa Maria is part of a bigger area called the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it is close to larger towns and cities, which helps people there to have access to more services and things to do. Even though it is small, Santa Maria is an important part of the community in that part of Texas.

Geography

Santa Maria is located near the southwestern corner of Cameron County. U.S. Route 281 runs through the area, connecting to Brownsville to the southeast and Hidalgo to the west. The community sits close to the Rio Grande, which forms the border between the Mexico–United States.

The United States Census Bureau reports that Santa Maria covers an area of 0.24 square miles (0.63 km²), all of which is land.

Demographics

Santa Maria was first recognized as a special area in the 2000 U.S. census.

In the year 2000, 846 people lived in Santa Maria. Many families and households were part of the community. Most people identified as Hispanic or Latino. Many households had children, and families were often led by married couples.

The area had a mix of age groups, with many young people and some older adults. Income levels were low, and a large part of the population lived below the poverty line.

Education

Santa Maria has its own school system called the Santa Maria Independent School District.

There is also a special school program run by the South Texas Independent School District that helps students in the area.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service runs the post office in Santa Maria.