VandenbergVillage, 2010
Vandenberg Village’s story
Vandenberg Village in pictures
Census counts: 4,874 in 1970, 7,308 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 4 maps from 1947 on.
Explore the history →
Photo: Antandrus at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
6,776
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$637K
Census ACS
Household income
$111K
median
Median age
41.2
years
Jobs based here
560
A commuter town
Is Vandenberg Village a good place to live?
Overall, Vandenberg Village earns a C: better than 30% of U.S. towns, and 384th of 841 in California. Its weakest subject is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $637K, 6.5 years of the Santa Maria metro’s $98K median household income. Health is its strong suit: residents are healthier than 82% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for schools, B for incomes, B− for walkability and C+ for hazard risk. The town’s midsummer high is 74°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. 52% of the land here is conserved, above both California’s towns (4.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · FEMA National Risk Index · NOAA normals, 1991–2020 · USGS PAD-US.
How Vandenberg Village grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Vandenberg Village is from typical.
Cost of livingAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →HealthLompoc Valley Medical Center 5.2 miles awayA−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC+Open →Jobs & income$111K median household incomeBOpen →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsB−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 2.6% of households have no car; 2.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsMore parks and open land than mostB+Open →HistoryIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 76° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives here38% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
A growing town
Vandenberg Village has grown 13% from 2010 to 2020
6,497 counted in 2010 and 7,308 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Vandenberg Village.
Vandenberg Village carries less natural-hazard risk than most of California (mostly inland flooding), keeps more of its land conserved than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
OutdoorsB+
nearly a third of the land in Vandenberg Village is protected from building
#340for trails in CA
Its 1,741 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 98% of California towns.
Vandenberg Village’s trail network density stands at 1.1 miles per square mile. 6.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
51.8%
conserved · 1,741 of 3,361 acres
6.0 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Falcon Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB−
Vandenberg Village’s public schools trail 53% of California districts
47%of CA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by the Lompoc Unified school district. The largest public high school is Cabrillo High, with 1,060 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 498 | – |
| Cabrillo HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,060 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Vandenberg Village earns an A− for health
82%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
Its widest gap with California is tooth loss: 5.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.6% statewide.
In Vandenberg Village, 18% of adults say their health is fair or poor. Against the California average, Vandenberg Village comes out ahead on 12 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2. Among adults here, 32% sleep under 7 hours and 9.9% smoke cigarettes.
| Vandenberg Village | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 29% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 11% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
32 measures vs. California
12 better18 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Vandenberg Village | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 6.4% |
Lompoc Valley Medical Center
5.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
73rd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Vandenberg Village sends most of its workers out of town
5%work in town
Vandenberg Village has 560 jobs for its 2,796 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 22.2 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Most people who work leave Vandenberg Village to do it: just 5% work in town. Jobs here fell by 103 from 2013 to 2023, to 560. In Vandenberg Village, the typical journey to work is 22 minutes. The top destinations are Lompoc (18%), Santa Maria (9%) and Santa Barbara (8%).
| Vandenberg Village | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $111,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Vandenberg Village5%
Lompoc18%
Santa Maria9%
Santa Barbara8%
Vandenberg AFB6%
23 mi
median commute distance
560
jobs based in Vandenberg Village
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 50% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Vandenberg Village has mild winters and pleasant summers
76°summer high
January nights average 43°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 73.8°.
Its January low comes in at 43°F. Snow is a rarity.
| Vandenberg Village | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 74°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 43°F | 40°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–64°
Spring47–67°
Summer54–73°
Fall50–73°
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
76°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than California overall
41.2median age · CA 37.9
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 21% of residents (16% statewide). The share of adults 25 and older in Vandenberg Village who hold a bachelor’s degree or more: 39%. In Vandenberg Village, the median age is 41.2 years.
| Vandenberg Village | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 41.2 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 22% | 22% |
Vandenberg VillageCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school19%
Some college24%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.3 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 83% are men (CA 51%).
| Vandenberg Village | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.7% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.9% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.5% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.4% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.3% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.1% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.3% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.7% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Vandenberg Village, mostly inland flooding
55risk score of 100
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 90% of California towns, with expected losses of about $310 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
FEMA puts 44% of Vandenberg Village’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 33% to earthquakes. The FEMA hazard score for Vandenberg Village comes to 55 of 100.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesDrought
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade D
The median home in Vandenberg Village sells for about $745K
$745Kmedian sale price
Homes sold in Vandenberg Village spent a median 41 days on the market. Its typical rent is $2,313 a month. In Vandenberg Village, the typical sale closed at 98.2% of the list price.
| Vandenberg Village | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,313 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 64% | 73% |
Market temperature
41
days on market
98.2%
sale-to-list price
10
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Vandenberg Village
17pages on Vandenberg Village
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
Getting set up
Moving to Vandenberg Village: who provides what
Vandenberg Village is unincorporated, so Santa Barbara County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVandenberg Village Comm. Serv. Dist. water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% 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 code9343693436 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Vandenberg Village for work
Where Vandenberg Village’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
560jobs based in Vandenberg Village
5%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Vandenberg Village; the nearest are
Allan Hancock CollegeCommunity college · Public · Santa Maria16.2 mi$1,156 in-state tuitionUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraUniversity or college · Public · Santa Barbara40.5 mi$16,414 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Vandenberg Village residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Vandenberg Village
Census-designated place in California, United States
Vandenberg Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The population was 7,308 at the 2020 census, up from 6,497 at the 2010 census. It is a community situated in the hills north of Lompoc, California. While shops and markets can be found in Vandenberg Village, many residents commute to nearby Lompoc on a daily basis. It is close to Vandenberg Space Force Base.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 374 ft
- Area code
- 805
Vandenberg Village’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Vandenberg Village.
Vandenberg AFBVandenberg Village
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandenberg Village | #384 | C | D | — | B− | A− |
| Vandenberg AFB | #280 | C+ | D− | — | C+ | A |
Vandenberg Village and Vandenberg AFB report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Vandenberg Village with a neighbor →
Questions about Vandenberg Village
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Vandenberg Village, CA a good place to live?
Vandenberg Village grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #384 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Vandenberg Village, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $637,000, 16% below the California typical home.
Vandenberg Village is in here
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