Santa Rosa, Texas Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 502, Santa Rosa's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Santa Rosa is a small community located in Texas, within Starr County. The total population is 502. It ranks as the 1272nd most populous out of 1,795 Census-designated places in Texas.

Age Demographics

The median age in Santa Rosa is 25.3 years. This is 29% lower than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Santa Rosa is $30,985. This is 61% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 62% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 41.4%. This is 200% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Santa Rosa, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. 49.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 21% lower than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

Santa Rosa has a predominantly Hispanic or Latino population, comprising 97.4% of all residents. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 2.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (2.6%) is well below the state average of 39.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (97.4% vs 39.7%).

Education

0.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 60.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Santa Rosa, Texas is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Texas state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,795 Census-designated places in Texas. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.