Santa Barbara County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Santa Barbara County, 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 70% of counties in California
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 443,693 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 117.0 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.12% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 149,595 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Santa Barbara County grew by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 443,693 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Santa Barbara County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.6% of residents. That is 5.9 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 122,361 27.6% +5.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 86,172 19.4% -4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 76,090 17.1% -2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 68,607 15.5% +0.2 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 50.2% of the people living in Santa Barbara County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% California 49.9%
- Men 49.8% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Santa Barbara County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Santa Barbara County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,304 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.18% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Santa Barbara County is about 1% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $555,382 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,131 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 52.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Santa Barbara County is about 21.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,131 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Santa Barbara County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 142 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.1 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.1 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 142 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,408 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.4% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,159 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,893 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Santa Barbara County is 17 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 County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.7% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.81 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
Santa Barbara County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Santa Barbara County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.3 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
Santa Barbara County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Santa Barbara County, CA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 443,693 residents against a local median of 836,943. The measure that sets Santa Barbara County, CA apart most is median home price: $555,382, 35% below the local median of $854,285.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.1 min against a local median of 20.6 min, 17% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 17% below the local median it puts Santa Barbara County, CA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $634,813 on median home price, so Santa Barbara County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Santa Barbara County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 443,693 | $98,304 #2/6 | $555,382 #4/6 | 17.1 min #1/6 |
| Ventura County, CA | 836,943 | $110,868 | $854,285 | 23.0 min |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 281,514 | $97,610 | $895,815 | 18.2 min |
| Kern County, CA | 915,060 | $70,255 | $315,481 | 20.6 min |
| Kings County, CA | 153,298 | $71,135 | $300,000 | 20.1 min |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | $90,339 | $934,813 | 28.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Santa Barbara County, California.
How big is Santa Barbara County, California by population?
About 443,693 people live in Santa Barbara County, California, in 149,595 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 33.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Santa Barbara County, California?
Averaged over its land area, Santa Barbara County, California has 117 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Santa Barbara County, California?
The median home costs 5.6 times the median household income ($555,382 against $98,304), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,131 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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