Santa Maria de Palautordera
A municipality in the Vallès Oriental comarca, province of Barcelona
16th most populous of 38 municipalities in Vallès Oriental
With 10,060 residents, Santa Maria de Palautordera sits in the larger half of the 38 municipalities in the Vallès Oriental comarca (province of Barcelona). Disposable household income is €20,837 per resident, essentially the comarca median. The unemployment rate is 9.1%. The nearest train station is Palautordera, 2.6 km away (Rodalies / Renfe), and the fastest scheduled train reaches Barcelona in 45 min — a workable daily commute. 86.3% of residents said they could speak Catalan in the 2011 census, the last to ask at municipal level. Under the Generalitat's civil-protection plans, flood risk is high and wildfire hazard is above the Catalan average.
How Santa Maria de Palautordera compares in Vallès Oriental
Where the municipality sits among those of the Vallès Oriental comarca, indicator by indicator.
Around the middle
- Income per resident20,837 €14th of 32
- Higher education37.7%18th of 38
- Train time to Barcelona~45 min22nd of 38
- Unemployment rate9.1%24th of 35
Neither better nor worse
- Can speak Catalan86.3%13th of 38
- Foreign-born13.4%16th of 38
On these indicators neither end is better — it depends what you are looking for. Shown highest to lowest.
Each position is computed only among the municipalities of the comarca that publish that indicator: Idescat suppresses figures for the smallest ones, so the total can be lower than the comarca's municipality count. No position is published for a cohort of fewer than 5.
All the data
Demographics
- Population
- 10,0602025
- Density
- 594 inh./km²2025
- Surface area
- 16.9 km²2025
- Altitude
- 208 m
- Population aged 65+
- 19.3%2025
- Foreigners
- 13.4%2025
- Annual Growth
- +0.7%2024
Economy
- Income (per person)
- 20,837 €2023 (p)
- Unemployment
- 9.1%2024
- Higher education
- 37.7%2024
Housing
- Rented dwellings
- 19.6%2021
Getting around
- Nearest train station
- Palautordera · 2.6 km · Rodalies / Renfe
- To Barcelona by train
- ~45 min
Straight-line distance to the nearest station. Time is the fastest scheduled train (approximate, not a specific departure); it may require a change.
Natural risk
- Flood risk
- High2026
- Main flood sources
- River flooding · Ravines and torrents
- Wildfire hazard
- Above the Catalan average2026
- Wildfire vulnerability
- High2026
- Wildfires 2011-2024
- 9 fires started here · 2.3 ha burned
Official Generalitat classification: the INUNCAT (flood) and INFOCAT (wildfire) special plans, Departament d'Interior. The flood level is the maximum across every flood type affecting the municipality. Wildfire hazard is expressed relative to the Catalan average, not as an absolute probability. Fires (2011-2024, Departament d'Acció Climàtica) are attributed to the municipality where they started, so the burned area may extend into neighbouring municipalities.
Language
- Can speak Catalan
- 86.3%2011
Source: Idescat, 2011 census — the last one to carry this question at municipal level. Real, but old.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people live in Santa Maria de Palautordera?
- Santa Maria de Palautordera had 10,060 residents on the 2025 municipal register, making it the 16th most populous of the 38 municipalities in Vallès Oriental.
- How long does it take to get from Santa Maria de Palautordera to Barcelona by train?
- The nearest station to Santa Maria de Palautordera is Palautordera, 2.6 km away, and the fastest train reaches central Barcelona in ~45 min (approximate schedule).
- What do people earn in Santa Maria de Palautordera?
- Household disposable income per resident in Santa Maria de Palautordera is 20,837 € a year (Idescat, 2023 (p)), 1% above the comarca median.
- Do people speak Catalan in Santa Maria de Palautordera?
- 86.3% of residents in Santa Maria de Palautordera reported being able to speak Catalan in the 2011 census, the last edition to carry the question at municipal level. It measures the ability to speak it, not everyday use.
- Is Santa Maria de Palautordera at risk of flooding or wildfire?
- The civil-protection plans in force (2026) classify the flood risk in Santa Maria de Palautordera as "High" and its wildfire hazard as "Above the Catalan average". Wildfire hazard is relative to the Catalan average, not a probability of burning.
- Do people rent or own in Santa Maria de Palautordera?
- 19.6% of main dwellings in Santa Maria de Palautordera are rented (2021).
Data from Idescat (EMEX). Per-indicator sources have different reference years; see each section's note.