Pumping oil out of the sea in the wonderful submarine oil district of Summerland, Calif, 1905
Summerland’s story
137 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1905.
- 1889Summerland is settled
SummerlandCA
A town of 1,348, settled in 1889.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Taken by Antandrus · Public domain
Population
1,348
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$3.1M
+8.1% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
53.4
years
Jobs based here
527
Balanced
Is Summerland a good place to live?
Summerland’s best subject grades are an A for health and an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for cost of living. Summerland’s typical home value is $3,096,000, against $710,000 in California’s towns and $332,000 across U.S. towns. Only 4 of California’s 1,058 towns score lower on cost of living. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with landslides at the top. Summerland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Summerland stand out
Where Summerland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A shrinking town
Summerland has shrunk 16% from 2010 to 2020
1,448 counted in 2010 and 1,222 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Summerland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Summerland is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $3.1M, 31.5 years of the Santa Maria metro’s $98K median household incomeD−Open →Hazard risklandslides tops the listD−Open →HealthSanta Barbara Cottage Hospital 7.8 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & incomeBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.4 of 20; 8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 77° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 53.4; 62% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 35 attractions →Channel Islands National Park and 21 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Summerland. Close and well known come first.
22 mi National ParkChannel Islands National Park227K visitors a year
20 mi National forestLos Padres National Forest
4 mi GardenLotusland
6 mi LandmarkPresidio of Santa Barbara
4 mi Zoo & aquariumSanta Barbara Zoo
7 mi MuseumSanta Barbara Museum of Natural HistorySources: 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 · Los Padres National Forest: Taken by Antandrus, Public domain · Lotusland: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Presidio of Santa Barbara: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Santa Barbara Zoo: Dakart at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Jllm06, CC BY-SA 3.0
_at_Santa_Barbara_Zoo.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Summerland: who provides what
Summerland is unincorporated, so Santa Barbara County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMontecito Water DistNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSanta Barbara CountySanta Barbara County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereSanta Barbara County Clerk-ElectionsSanta Barbara County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes93067, 93108, 9301393067 60% · 93108 39% · 93013 1%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 Summerland.
HousingCost of living grade D−
Summerland’s grade for cost of living is a D−
Typical home values rose 8.1% in the year to September 2026. The typical Summerland home is worth about $3,096,000, up 8.1% in a year, 4 times the California typical home.
$3.1MZillow home value
Typical home value
Summerland$3.1M
California$762K
+8.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Summerland’s schools beat 65% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Carpinteria Unified school district. Its one school is below.
65%of CA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summerland ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 51 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Summerland faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by landslides
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
LandslidesEarthquakesWildfire
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthA
Summerland ranks healthier than 89% of the country’s towns
Summerland beats the California average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Summerland, below both the California town median (35%) and the median of U.S. towns (36%). 24% of adults have obesity in Summerland.
89%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Summerland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. California
17 better11 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Summerland | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.4% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.1% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 6.4% |
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
7.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Summerland
Summerland has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Summerland’s July high is 75°F.
77°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter47–64°
Spring51–67°
Summer59–74°
Fall55–73°
+2.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
77°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 1.5 jobs for every working resident, Summerland draws in 505 commuters
Most working residents leave Summerland for work: only 6% work in town. The average trip to work in Summerland is 21 minutes. Since 2013, Summerland has added 107 jobs, to 527 in 2023.
6%work in town
| Summerland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Summerland6%
Santa Barbara20%
Carpinteria10%
Toro Canyon8%
Los Angeles5%
8 mi
median commute distance
527
jobs based in Summerland
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 42% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.4%conserved
| Summerland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 17 of 4,704 acres
5.6 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lookout Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
| 2. Oceanview Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Summerland
17pages on Summerland
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Summerland
Pacifica Graduate InstituteUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Carpinteria0.5 miSanta Barbara City CollegeCommunity college · Public · Santa Barbara6.3 mi$1,240 in-state tuitionUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraUniversity or college · Public · Santa Barbara14.8 mi$16,414 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Summerland residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Small town
1,348 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MontecitoToro CanyonSummerland
About Summerland
Place in California, United States
Summerland is a census designated place (CDP) in Santa Barbara County, California. The population was 1,222 at the 2020 census, down from 1,448 at the 2010 census. The town includes a school and a Presbyterian Church. There are many small businesses.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 121 ft
- ZIP code
- 93067
- Area code
- 805
Questions about Summerland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Summerland, 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−.