Homes are expensive, about $1.8 million for a typical one and 18.4 times the Santa Maria metro’s $98K median household income. Overall it grades C, 443rd of 841 graded towns in California. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 79% of the country and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Santa Barbara’s typical home value is $1,806,000, where California’s towns sit at $709,000 and U.S. towns at $332,000. Its National Register listings include Santa Barbara Mission and Rafael Gonzalez House. Santa Barbara's police reported 554 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 86% of U.S. towns.

StrongestAWalkability AOutdoors AHistoryWeakestD⁻Cost of living D⁻Hazard risk DSafety

What makes Santa Barbara stand out

Where Santa Barbara beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Santa Barbara Mission

HistoryA

Settled in 1847

19 places on the National Register

A history going back 179 years.

Biggest of 6

College	Students
University of California-Santa Barbara	26,034
Santa Barbara City College	8,519
Westmont College	1,310

Colleges in town

6 colleges

37,026 students on campus

Students are 9% of residents.

Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD⁻

Earthquakes and inland flooding at the top

FEMA National Risk Index.

Santa Barbara Mission · National Register of Historic Places

Santa Barbara’s story

179 years in pictures

Santa Barbara Mission is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1847, comes before those of 97% of the California towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 3,460 in 1880, 88,665 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1782 and 6 maps from 1944 on.

19 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1847Santa Barbara is settled

Explore the history →

How Santa Barbara grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Santa Barbara is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 94% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 1%), so the C overall blends very different results.

Cost of livingD⁻Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listD⁻Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.7 of 20; 7.9% of households have no car; 9.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitAOpen →SafetyDOpen →HealthSanta Barbara Cottage Hospital 1.9 miles awayA⁻Open →SchoolsB⁺Open →Jobs & income$106K median household incomeBOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors7% conserved landAOpen →History37 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life2.9 library visits per resident; 7.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 77° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market40 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.7; 52% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Channel Islands National Park and 19 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Santa Barbara. Close and well known come first.

All 31 attractions →

23 mi National ParkChannel Islands National Park227K visitors a year

in town LandmarkPresidio of Santa Barbara

18 mi National forestLos Padres National Forest

4 mi GardenLotusland

in town MuseumSanta Barbara Museum of Natural History

in town Zoo & aquariumSanta Barbara Zoo

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Channel Islands National Park: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Presidio of Santa Barbara: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Los Padres National Forest: Taken by Antandrus, Public domain · Lotusland: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Jllm06, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Santa Barbara Zoo: Dakart at en.wikipedia, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to Santa Barbara: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Santa Barbara, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterCity of Santa Barbara Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet5 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site

SchoolsSanta Barbara Unified School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereSanta Barbara County Clerk-ElectionsSanta Barbara County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025

ZIP codes93101, 93105, 93103, 9310993101 34% · 93105 24% · 93103 22% · 93109 12%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California and has a long record of flood insurance claims.

HousingCost of living grade D⁻

Santa Barbara’s grade for cost of living is a D−

At 18.4 years of the Santa Maria metro’s $98K median household income, the typical home (about $1.81M) costs more against local pay than in 95% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Home values rose 29% in five years, to about $1.81M, against 13% across California.

The median rent in Santa Barbara is $2,413 a month. Typical home values rose 4.9% in the year to September 2026. 40% of households own their home in Santa Barbara.

$1.81MZillow home value

	Santa Barbara	California towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	40%	64%	73%
Median rent	$2,413 a month	$1,895 a month	$1,185 a month
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	56%	55%	48%

Typical home value

Santa Barbara$1.81M

California$762K

Market temperature

days on market

98.4%

sale-to-list price

+4.9%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageSanta Barbara’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 4.9% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 17.0 years of income Rents$2,413 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its 5 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

SchoolsB⁺

On state tests, Santa Barbara’s schools beat 68% of California districts

Its public schools are run by the Santa Barbara Unified school district. Two of its 31 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

68%of CA districts it outscoresB⁺School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
La Colina Junior HighLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8	Grades 7–8	832	–
Santa Barbara Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,924	–

Full pageSanta Barbara’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsSanta Barbara Unified Vs. the neighborsBehind its 5 graded neighbors Every school31 schools · Peabody Charter Questions“Are Santa Barbara’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D⁻

Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Santa Barbara

276 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 34 properties have flooded more than once.

Since 1978, 276 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Santa Barbara.

97risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

EarthquakesInland flooding

276

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageSanta Barbara’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims276 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters8 federal disasters · Paid out in Santa Barbara Get readyReady for earthquakes

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SafetyD

Santa Barbara’s grade for safety is a D

Santa Barbara’s violent crime rate is 6.4 per 1,000 residents. Santa Barbara reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less. Santa Barbara’s property crime rate is 16.5 per 1,000 residents.

14%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade

	Santa Barbara	California towns	U.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	6.4 per 1,000 residents	2.9	1.6
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	16.5 per 1,000 residents	13.3	9.9

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Santa Barbara6.4

California4.3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Santa Barbara16.5

California18.2

U.S.15.5

14th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

20th

percentile among CA towns

554

violent crimes reported in 2025

1,433

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageSanta Barbara’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type6.4 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsSteady since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Questions“Is Santa Barbara, CA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

HealthA⁻

Santa Barbara’s grade for health is an A−

26% of Santa Barbara adults have obesity. Santa Barbara beats the California average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 31% of Santa Barbara adults sleep under 7 hours.

79%healthier than U.S. townsA⁻Health Grade

	Santa Barbara	California towns	U.S. towns
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	26%	29%	35%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	31%	35%	36%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	9.8%	11%	14%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	72%	72%	79%

32 measures vs. California

7 better24 too close to call1 worse

What stands out	Santa Barbara	CA
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth	7.9%	10.6%
Fewer adults lacking emotional support	23.1%	28.6%
More adults who have had cancer	8%	6.4%

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital

1.9 mi away · emergency room

1 of 3

care shortages: dental

68th

percentile among CA towns

Full pageSanta Barbara’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby1.9 miles to an ER · Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital How adults are doingFewer adults lacking emotional support Every CDC estimateBetter than CA on 7 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsA

Santa Barbara has set aside 7.2% of its land for conservation

35 miles of trail in 47 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Goleta Slough Ecological Reserve, at 359 acres.

#400for trails in CA

	Santa Barbara	California towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	7.2%	4.2%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.9 miles per square mile	1.0	0.4

7.2%

conserved · 1,708 of 23,852 acres

35 mi

of trails · 0.9 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Elings Park	9.5 mi	218
2. Parma Park	5.9 mi	190
3. Douglas Family Preserve	3.1 mi	47

Full pageSanta Barbara’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map35 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk9.5 miles of trail · Elings Park Conserved land7.2% conserved · 1,708 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Santa Barbara?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

Santa Barbara has mild winters and pleasant summers

January nights average 44.3°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 75.4°.

Santa Barbara has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.

77°summer high

	Santa Barbara	California towns	U.S. towns
July high	75°F	89°F	85°F
January low	44°F	40°F	22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter44–65°

Spring49–68°

Summer57–75°

Fall52–74°

+2.6°

vs. the 20th-century average

77°

typical summer high

Full pageSanta Barbara’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 75°, January lows 44°Rain & snow20″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard of Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+2.6° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B

A larger share of working residents in Santa Barbara work locally than in the typical California or U.S. town

The average commute for its 34,667 working residents takes 17.3 minutes, against 28.7 across California.

Jobs based in Santa Barbara grew to 49,617 in 2023, 4,217 more than in 2013. 43% of Santa Barbara’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Goleta (12%), Eastern Goleta Valley (5%) and Los Angeles (4%).

43%work in town

	Santa Barbara	California towns	U.S. towns
Working residents who work in town	43%	6.6%	8%
Average trip to work	17 minutes	28 minutes	25 minutes
Work from home	19%	14%	11%
Below the poverty line	14%	10%	9.6%

Where working residents work

In Santa Barbara43%

Goleta12%

Eastern Goleta Valley5%

Los Angeles4%

Montecito3%

5 mi

median commute distance

49,617

jobs based in Santa Barbara

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 94% of U.S. towns

Full pageSanta Barbara’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here49,617 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work43% work in Santa Barbara Commute times17 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 5 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Santa Barbara

20pages on Santa Barbara

The big questions

SchoolsB⁺Beat 68% of CA districts · 31 schools SafetyD6.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA⁻Better than CA on 7 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingD⁻$1.81M typical home · up 4.9% in a year Work & commuteB$106K median household income · 49,617 jobs here Natural hazardsD⁻FEMA risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities · earthquakes

Out and about

OutdoorsA35 mi of trails · 7% conserved land PlacesAttractions31 nearby · Presidio of Santa Barbara under 1 mi LibraryB2.9 library visits per resident CollegesSanta Barbara City College, in town

The story

HistoryASettled 1847 · 19 on the National Register Famous people37 born in Santa Barbara Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 85 residents Climate77° summer highs

Day to day

News6 recent stories about Santa Barbara WeatherHandbookZIP code 93101, 93102, 93103 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

7 within 15 miles of the center of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City CollegeCommunity college · Public · Santa BarbaraIn town$1,240 in-state tuition University of California-Santa BarbaraUniversity or college · Public · Santa BarbaraIn town$16,414 in-state tuition Antioch University-Santa BarbaraUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Santa BarbaraIn town

About 9 of every 100 Santa Barbara residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

University of California-Santa Barbara calls Santa Barbara home

6 colleges in town.

University of California-Santa Barbara26,034 students on campus

Admission: 33%
Net price: $16,109
Graduate: 83%

Santa Barbara City College8,519 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: $11,315
Graduate: 34%

Westmont College1,310 students on campus

Admission: 77%
Net price: $29,053
Graduate: 70%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

19 places in Santa Barbara on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Santa Barbara MissionBuilt 1722 · National Historic Landmark

Rafael Gonzalez HouseNational Historic Landmark

Santa Barbara County CourthouseBuilt 1926 · National Historic Landmark

Santa Barbara PresidioBuilt 1782

Famous people from Santa Barbara

37 notable people were born in Santa Barbara.

See all 37 →

Katy PerryAmerican singer · born 1984

Edie SedgwickAmerican socialite, actress and model · 1943–1971

Maika MonroeAmerican actress · born 1993

Anthony EdwardsAmerican actor · born 1962

Alex D. LinzAmerican actor · born 1989

Cole HauserAmerican actor · born 1975

About Santa Barbara

City in California, United States

Official town website ↗

Santa Barbara (Spanish: Santa Bárbara, meaning 'Saint Barbara') is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting Alaska, the city lies between the steeply rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Santa Barbara's climate is often described as Mediterranean, and the city has been dubbed "The American Riviera". As of the 2020 census, Santa Barbara had a population of 88,665. In addition to being a popular tourist and resort destination, the city has a diverse economy that includes a large service sector, education, techn…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1847
Area: 42 sq mi
Elevation: 49 ft
ZIP code: 93101, 93102, 93103
Area code: 805

Santa Barbara’s neighbors

5 towns share a border with Santa Barbara.

Explore the map →

All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; Goleta (B) is closest.

MontecitoEastern Goleta ValleyMission CanyonGoletaUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara

Montecito

E · 3% of Santa Barbara workers commute here

Visit

Eastern Goleta Valley

NW · 5% of Santa Barbara workers commute here

Visit

Mission Canyon

Visit

Goleta

W · 12% of Santa Barbara workers commute here

Visit

University of California-Santa Barbara

W · 2% of Santa Barbara workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	CA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Santa Barbara	#443	C	D⁻	D	B⁺	A⁻
Montecito	#44	A⁻	D⁻	—	A⁺	A⁺
Eastern Goleta Valley	#76	B⁺	D⁻	—	A	A
Mission Canyon	—	—	D⁻	—	B⁺	A⁺
Goleta	#137	B	D⁻	C⁺	A	A
University of California-Santa Barbara	–	A⁻	C⁻	—	A	A

Mission Canyon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Montecito, Eastern Goleta Valley, Mission Canyon and University of California-Santa Barbara report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Santa Barbara with a neighbor →

Questions about Santa Barbara

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Santa Barbara, CA a good place to live?

Santa Barbara grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #443 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health, D for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Santa Barbara, CA expensive?

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−.

What is Santa Barbara, CA known for?

37 notable people were born here, including Katy Perry and Edie Sedgwick.

Post to Santa Barbara

Check your email

Santa BarbaraCA

What should you know before moving to Santa Barbara?

What makes Santa Barbara stand out

179 years in pictures

How Santa Barbara grades

Channel Islands National Park and 19 more within 40 miles

Moving to Santa Barbara: who provides what

The data

Santa Barbara’s grade for cost of living is a D−

Typical home value

On state tests, Santa Barbara’s schools beat 68% of California districts

Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara’s grade for safety is a D

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Santa Barbara’s grade for health is an A−

Santa Barbara has set aside 7.2% of its land for conservation

Santa Barbara has mild winters and pleasant summers

Typical low → high °F

A larger share of working residents in Santa Barbara work locally than in the typical California or U.S. town

Where working residents work

Everything we know about Santa Barbara

Colleges nearby

University of California-Santa Barbara calls Santa Barbara home

Landmarks

Famous people from Santa Barbara

About Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara’s neighbors

Questions about Santa Barbara