Population and Demographics of Santa Clarita, California

When asking are addiction rates rising in Santa Clarita, California, it is important to understand the population living in the area, and their overall demographics, to be able to get a clear picture of the situation. Santa Clarita is near the city of Los Angeles, approximately 30 miles from downtown LA. It is in northwestern Los Angeles County in the Santa Clarita Valley, with a population of around 231,000 making it the 99^th largest country in the United States.

As of 2020, the population and demographics of Santa Clarita are as follows:

• The median age is 36.6 years old
• The median property value is $564,500 with 69.6% of residents being homeowners
• The median household income is $100,932, growing from $99,666 in 2019, but there is wage inequality between genders, with men making 1.26 times the amount of women
• Women aged 25 to 34 are those who are most likely to be living below the poverty line, followed by males aged 18 to 24
• The highest salaries are paid to those of Asian and white races/ethnicities, followed by two or more races
• The population declined from 2019 to 2020 at a -0.42% decrease
• The five main ethnic groups are white (non-Hispanic) at 46.7%, followed by white (Hispanic) at 19.7%, then Asian (non-Hispanic) at 10.5%, then other (Hispanic) at 7.79%, and two or more races (Hispanic) at 5.42%
• 34% of the people in Santa Clarita are Hispanic (approximately 72.3K people)
• No households reported that their first language was something other than English, although many are likely multi-lingual
• 92.5% are American citizens, and 20.1% were born outside of the United States (42.7K people)
• Santa Clarita has a large population of military personnel and veterans
• 94.9% of people living in Santa Clarita have health coverage
• The state of California has the highest number of chronically unhoused individuals, with 35,798 people currently living on the streets

If you or a loved one is suffering from any form of addiction or abuse, please call Sylvan Detox at (818) 308-3099.

A Look at Addiction Rates in Santa Clarita

So are addiction rates rising in Santa Clarita? The Santa Clarita Valley is seeing high rates of drug overdoses, with more than 100,000 deaths in one year, which is more than double the rate of the past five years. The majority of drug overdose deaths have been caused by synthetic opioids, especially fentanyl, accounting for 64% of all drug overdose deaths. From 2020 to now, the number of deaths due to fentanyl overdose has increased by 49%.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), drug overdose from fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for people aged 18 to 45, as it is sold as pressed counterfeit pills, or mixed into drugs like heroin or ecstasy to increase potency and profits for the drug manufacturers.

In Santa Clarita, J-Team deputies (the sheriff’s juvenile intervention team) have been responding to any medical emergency that appears to be drug-related, in order to work with victims of overdose to provide rehab resources and education on addiction treatment. Overdose deaths are most prevalent in people aged 18 to 29 in this area, with prescription drug abuse on the rise as teens and young adults are buying what they believe to be prescription drugs online through social media. These fake medications are often laced with fentanyl, as are other “designer drugs” and pills bought on the street.

Other Factors of Addiction in Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita has seen instances of drug overdose grow at the same rate as bigger cities like Los Angeles and other Californian communities, increasing three to four times between the years 2019 and 2021. As the founder of Action Drug Rehabs said, these statistics only take into account the number of deaths “from accidental overdoses. What about the (deaths) from drug addiction? Driving under the influence, domestic violence, child abuse, murder, robberies, burglaries” are all factors we must consider along with overdose statistics.

The city of Santa Clarita has been working to educate its youth on the dangers of all types of drug use, telling the truth to teens and young adults about current substance abuse trends, including the frightening fact that one pill can kill when it comes to fentanyl. Social media, TV, and movies make it seem like there are no consequences to taking pills or using drugs, glamourizing Adderall abuse for studying purposes or showing teens on TV popping Xanax like candy. The fact is that there is no “safe” drug, or as one rehab expert says, “Every drug out there is fake. If you’re buying drugs on the street or the internet, you’re buying fentanyl,” or as Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, “…you’re just playing Russian roulette.” The only true way to avoid drug abuse, drug addiction, and drug overdose is to stay away from drugs completely. Even if you take one pill laced with fentanyl you are at risk of serious drug addiction, with cravings and withdrawal symptoms, leading to drug abuse.

If you are concerned about your substance abuse issues, Sylvan Detox is here for you. As the top-rated inpatient rehab center in Santa Clarita, we offer care from highly qualified medical professionals, along with beautiful and luxurious facilities, with treatment programs accredited by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

You can trust us to provide high quality, efficient care, ensuring you stay comfortable through all stages of detox, and evidence-based treatments and amenities that include:

• Medical residential detox plans with medically assisted withdrawal treatments
• Care from professional medical doctors, specialist doctors, nurses, psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists who have a minimum of a graduate degree in their field
• Inpatient rehab and connections to outpatient treatment centers, national addiction recovery peer groups, and sober living communities
• Behavioral health treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive restructuring, and dialectical behavior therapy
• Interpersonal psychotherapy
• Relapse prevention
• Group therapy may cover topics like denial management and seeking safety
• Other types of trauma-informed treatments

You will live in a semi-private room inside the treatment center, which has been designed with your comfort and safety as top priorities. When you rehabilitate at Sylvan Detox, you will have housekeeping services, delicious and healthy meals, indoor and outdoor community lounge areas, fitness classes, yoga, meditation, and entertainment like board games, cards, books, a pool table, and ping pong. We allow phone privileges after a short blackout period so you can stay in touch with loved ones.

Inpatient rehab is the right option for many patients, while others may benefit from outpatient treatment programs like a partial hospitalization program (PHP) or an intensive outpatient program (IOP), offering medical care, therapy, and an average of 40 hours a week of groups.

Please call us today at (818) 308-3099 for more information, for insurance verification, or if you have any questions about addiction treatment, detox, or our on-site amenities. We are just a phone call away, and our confidential helpline operates 24 hours a day. You can reach out to us even if you are not ready to come to rehab, and we will listen and provide the information you need to make an informed decision about rehab. You are not alone.