Barangay Santa Cruz

Classified as a mid-sized barangay, Barangay Santa Cruz is one of the administrative divisions of Ballesteros in Cagayan, Cagayan Valley, Philippines.

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Barangay Santa Cruz had a population of 3,731. This made it the 2nd largest of 19 barangays in Ballesteros by population, placing it among the most populous barangays of the municipality. Residents of Barangay Santa Cruz accounted for approximately 10.82% of the total population of Ballesteros, which stood at 34,488 in the same census year.

Census comparisons between 2015 and 2020 show Barangay Santa Cruz moving from 3,649 residents to 3,731 residents, an intercensal change of +2.2%. The trajectory indicates a growing community. The Philippine Statistics Authority classifies Barangay Santa Cruz as rural, a designation applied to barangays with lower population density and predominantly non-built-up land use.

Ballesteros is a municipality comprising 19 barangays, and serves as the governing unit directly responsible for local services in Barangay Santa Cruz, including public health, sanitation, peace and order, and civil registration. Within the wider province of Cagayan, which contains 820 barangays across its component cities and municipalities, Barangay Santa Cruz ranks 48th by 2020 population. Cagayan is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, a category that reflects the province's annual regular income.

The barangay's legislative and executive affairs are handled by a Punong Barangay and the Sangguniang Barangay, elected nationwide during the Barangay and SK Elections. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, following the synchronized election schedule set by COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.