Photo: Pierre André · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Santa Barbara is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns
Santa Barbara differs from California on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Santa Barbara. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Santa Barbara
Cancer runs high in Santa Barbara
1 in 13 adults have had cancer (8%), vs 6.4% across California. Conditions ↓
Santa Barbara has a top-rated hospital
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the California figure falls outside Santa Barbara’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Santa Barbara’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Barbara is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns, #269 of 847 in California. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 94% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 48%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Santa Barbara’s median household income is $106,182; among the 7,720 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($80K–$133K), it’s healthier than 66%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Santa Barbara adults…
Santa Barbara runs below CA on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Santa Barbara
1 hospital and 3 community health centers in Santa Barbara, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Santa Barbara; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
35 miles of trails across 47 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Santa Barbara adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How Santa Barbara adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Santa Barbara does better than California.
1 in 3 Santa Barbara adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.5% of Santa Barbara adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Santa Barbara and the towns around it
Santa Barbara’s Health Grade ranks 6th of 6 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | A− | 25.7% | 10.1% | 9.8% | CDC place |
| Montecito | A+ | 20.4% | 9% | 6.3% | CDC place |
| Eastern Goleta Valley | A | 23.5% | 10.5% | 8.3% | CDC place |
| Mission Canyon | A+ | 21.8% | 9% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| Goleta | A | 24.1% | 9.6% | 9.2% | CDC place |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | A | 14.7% | 1.7% | 5.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Santa Barbara adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Santa Barbara
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Santa Barbara is better than California on 7 and worse on 1; on the rest, the California figure falls inside Santa Barbara’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Santa Barbara | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.7%17.6–22 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.5–14.4 | 13.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.3–17.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.7%20.6–31.3 | 27.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.1%8.8–11.5 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.8%27.4–34.3 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.2%29.5–37 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.9%20.3–25.5 | 20.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.5–10.9 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8%7.3–8.8 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.2–6.4 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.1%4.6–5.7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3%2.8–3.2 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.9%6.4–9.6 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.8%8.5–11.2 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.2%18.1–24.6 | 24.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17%14.2–20.1 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.1%25.7–36.4 | 35.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.9%8.6–11.2 | 10.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.2%68.4–75.8 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.8%62.5–68.9 | 62.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.9%84.2–87.5 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.7%67.5–73.8 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%61.4–70.6 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.3%67.6–81.7 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.8%18.7–25.1 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.9%29.4–38.7 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.1%19.9–26.5 | 28.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.7%12.8–16.8 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.5%10.9–14.2 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.9%6–7.9 | 7.3% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.3%7.3–9.3 | 9.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.5%11.8–15.2 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.2%26.7–33.9 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.2%11.7–14.9 | 13.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14%12.6–15.6 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.2 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.2%4.8–5.6 | 5.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.8%7–8.6 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.3–3.9 | 3.9% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the California figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Santa Barbara
Is Santa Barbara a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Santa Barbara is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #269 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 66%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Santa Barbara?
CDC estimates 25.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.6% and 31.3%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, 1.9 miles in a straight line from Santa Barbara’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Santa Barbara have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.6–11.2%), against 10.6% across California.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Santa Barbara more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Santa Barbara.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The California figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.