Santa Barbara, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Santa Barbara, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Santa Barbara | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 82,703 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2208.4 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 33,699 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Santa Barbara grew by 30.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 82,703 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Santa Barbara is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.0% of residents. That is 3.3 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 20,711 25.0% +3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 17,588 21.3% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,606 18.9% -1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,340 17.3% +2.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Santa Barbara and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% California 49.9%
- Men 49.7% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Santa Barbara
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Santa Barbara has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Santa Barbara | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $109,181 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.19% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Santa Barbara is about 10% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Santa Barbara | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $2,019,848 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,400 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 39.2% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Santa Barbara is about 70.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,400 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Santa Barbara spend about 28 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 116 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Santa Barbara | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.9 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.9 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 116 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,600 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.8% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 26,328 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,592 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Santa Barbara is 14 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Santa Barbara has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Santa Barbara | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.7% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Santa Barbara has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Santa Barbara | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Santa Barbara, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Santa Barbara, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara, CA | 82,703 | $109,181 #2/2 | $2,019,848 #1/2 | 13.9 min #2/2 |
| Eastern Goleta Valley, CA | 26,421 | $126,066 | $651,153 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Santa Barbara, California.
How big is Santa Barbara, California by population?
About 82,703 people live in Santa Barbara, California, in 33,699 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Santa Barbara, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Santa Barbara, California has 2,208 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 26 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Santa Barbara, California?
The median home costs 18.5 times the median household income ($2,019,848 against $109,181), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,400 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Santa Barbara, California?
44.7% of adults in Santa Barbara, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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