Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,348, settled in 1889.
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 has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Summerland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,448 counted in 2010 and 1,222 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Summerland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,545 in 2000, 1,222 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 6 maps from 1944 on.
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 HistoryChannel 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
Summerland 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 Summerland.
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 8.1%. 64% of households live in a home they own in Summerland, close to California’s towns (64%) and below U.S. towns (73%).
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Carpinteria Unified school district. Summerland’s only public school teaches 51 students.
| 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
35% of Summerland’s expected losses from natural hazards come from landslides, followed by earthquakes at 24%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2022.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
17% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Summerland. Against the California average, Summerland comes out ahead on 17 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 4. Among adults here, 24% have obesity and 14% report frequent mental distress.
| 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% |
| 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% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its typical July afternoon high stands at 75°F, below both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 6% of working residents stay in Summerland for work; the rest commute out. Its typical journey to work comes in at 21 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 107, to 527. Also worth knowing: for residents in the town, the share who live below the poverty line is 12%.
| Summerland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
There are 5.6 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves. For Summerland, the density of trails is 0.8 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 2, covering 8 acres.
| 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 |
| 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
7 within 15 miles of the center of Summerland
About 10 of every 100 Summerland residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
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)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 31.5 years of the area's median household income ($98,161 across the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
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