The Town FilesMission Canyon, California
Community in Santa Barbara County · population 2,540 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $2,000,001
- Household income
- $208,466
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 48.8
Mission Canyon is a community of 2,540 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more upscale than 97% of California towns, better for retirees than 94% of California towns, better for young professionals than 90% of California towns.
How Mission Canyon 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 Mission Canyon is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.6 times the median household income of $208,466, which is more affordable than 12% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 71.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Mission Canyon | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $208,466 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 9.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 71.1% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1958 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.5% | — |
Who lives in Mission Canyon
| People | Mission Canyon | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 24.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.1% | — |
| Work from home | 40.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 14.2 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Mission Canyon
July highs average 76.4°F and January lows 46.5°F. About 19.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mission Canyon since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on January 19, 2010 about 9.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 19, 2010.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on January 20, 1982.
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 Mission Canyon itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.
Towns near Mission Canyon
- Santa Barbara, CA3.6 mi · 88,665 people · home $1,570,800
- Eastern Goleta Valley, CA4.0 mi · 28,656 people · home $1,361,700
- Montecito, CA5.4 mi · 8,638 people · home $2,000,001
- University of California-Santa Barbara, CA7.9 mi · 9,710 people · home $452,900
- Goleta, CA8.2 mi · 32,690 people · home $1,062,100
- Isla Vista, CA8.7 mi · 15,500 people · home $1,218,800
- Carpinteria, CA13.3 mi · 13,264 people · home $1,043,100
- Oak View, CA24.1 mi · 6,215 people · home $819,100
Mission Canyon questions
Is Mission Canyon, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mission Canyon scores better for retirees than 94% of California towns and quieter than 67%. 24.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.8).
How much does a house cost in Mission Canyon?
The median owner-occupied home in Mission Canyon is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $208,466, so homes cost about 9.6 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Mission Canyon?
July highs average 76.4°F and January lows 46.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Mission Canyon get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mission Canyon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on January 19, 2010. 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)