The Town FilesGuadalupe, California
City in Santa Barbara County · population 8,057 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $495,600
- Household income
- $66,930
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 73°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 28.2
Guadalupe is a city of 8,057 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $495,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of California towns, more of a college town than 93% of California towns, more seaside character than 91% of California towns.
How Guadalupe ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Guadalupe is worth $495,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.4 times the median household income of $66,930, which is more affordable than 35% of California towns. Median rent is $1,732 a month. 55.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Guadalupe | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $495,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,732 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $66,930 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 55.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Guadalupe
| People | Guadalupe | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 8.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 38.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 27.7% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 1.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 30.0% | — |
| Work from home | 4.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.8% | 93.3% |
Weather in Guadalupe
July highs average 73.3°F and January lows 41.0°F. About 13.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 9 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Guadalupe since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on February 2, 2004 about 9.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 2, 2004.
Severe weather in Santa Barbara County since 1996
Santa Barbara County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County had 216,323 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,664 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Guadalupe itself the ACS puts it at 14.4%.
Public schools in Guadalupe
3 public schools with 1,306 students, about 20.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Buren Elementary | K-4 | 727 | 20.8 |
| Kermit McKenzie Intermediate | 4-8 | 579 | 19.3 |
| Guadalupe Preschool | Other | — | — |
Towns near Guadalupe
- Nipomo, CA6.2 mi · 18,176 people · home $723,700
- Santa Maria, CA7.7 mi · 109,707 people · home $531,700
- Oceano, CA9.7 mi · 7,183 people · home $556,100
- Orcutt, CA10.8 mi · 32,034 people · home $624,500
- Arroyo Grande, CA11.0 mi · 18,441 people · home $814,200
- Grover Beach, CA11.1 mi · 12,701 people · home $727,500
- Pismo Beach, CA14.2 mi · 8,072 people · home $1,021,300
- Vandenberg AFB, CA16.8 mi · 3,559 people · home —
Guadalupe questions
Is Guadalupe, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Guadalupe scores better for retirees than 25% of California towns and quieter than 13%. 8.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 28.2).
How much does a house cost in Guadalupe?
The median owner-occupied home in Guadalupe is valued at $495,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,930, so homes cost about 7.4 times income. Median rent is $1,732 a month.
What is the weather like in Guadalupe?
July highs average 73.3°F and January lows 41.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Guadalupe get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Guadalupe since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on February 2, 2004. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)