Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,038, settled in 1887.
Los Olivos’ best subject grades are an A+ for walkability and an A for health and schools; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. 64% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Los Olivos, above both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 30 of California’s 1,064 towns score lower on hazard risk. Homes are expensive, about $1.7 million for a typical one and 17.7 times the Santa Maria metro’s $98K median household income. Ballard Adobes is on the National Register of Historic Places. Los Olivos has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Los Olivos beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Los Olivos is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 4 maps from 1942 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Los Olivos is unincorporated, so Santa Barbara County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Los Olivos.
88% of households own their home in Los Olivos, where California’s towns sit at 64% and U.S. towns at 73%. Typical home values rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Los Olivos Elementary school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Olivos ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 159 | A |
| Dunn School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 218 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
3% of residents live below the poverty line in Los Olivos. Most working residents leave Los Olivos for work: only 12% work in town. Los Olivos’ median household income is $143,000.
| Los Olivos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $143,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The FEMA risk score in Los Olivos is 100 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Los Olivos beats the California average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 24% of Los Olivos adults have obesity.
| Los Olivos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Los Olivos | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Los Olivos has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 38° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Los Olivos; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Los Olivos residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Los Olivos’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, California, US
Los Olivos (; Spanish for "the olive trees") is an unincorporated community in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tourism is popular in this rural area which is an agricultural region with an emphasis on wine grapes. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Los Olivos as a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 1,202 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 93441, and the community is within the area code 805.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.