The Town FilesMission Hills, California
Community in Santa Barbara County · population 3,571 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $492,900
- Household income
- $111,974
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 73°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 42.4
Mission Hills is a community of 3,571 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $492,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 98% of California towns, better for families than 82% of California towns, easier by car than 82% of California towns.
How Mission Hills 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 Hills is worth $492,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.4 times the median household income of $111,974, which is more affordable than 86% of California towns. Median rent is $1,838 a month. 81.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Mission Hills | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $492,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,838 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $111,974 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 81.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Mission Hills
| People | Mission Hills | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 10.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 13.8% | — |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.4% | 93.3% |
Weather in Mission Hills
July highs average 72.5°F and January lows 43.2°F. About 15.4 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 4 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mission Hills since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on March 29, 2006 about 3.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 29, 2006.
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 Hills itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.
Towns near Mission Hills
- Vandenberg Village, CA2.0 mi · 7,308 people · home $637,100
- Lompoc, CA2.5 mi · 44,444 people · home $472,900
- Vandenberg AFB, CA4.7 mi · 3,559 people · home —
- Orcutt, CA12.5 mi · 32,034 people · home $624,500
- Buellton, CA14.8 mi · 5,161 people · home $837,400
- Santa Maria, CA16.9 mi · 109,707 people · home $531,700
- Solvang, CA18.3 mi · 6,126 people · home $949,600
- Santa Ynez, CA20.1 mi · 4,505 people · home $1,163,000
Mission Hills questions
Is Mission Hills, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mission Hills scores better for retirees than 63% of California towns and quieter than 69%. 16.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.4).
How much does a house cost in Mission Hills?
The median owner-occupied home in Mission Hills is valued at $492,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $111,974, so homes cost about 4.4 times income. Median rent is $1,838 a month.
What is the weather like in Mission Hills?
July highs average 72.5°F and January lows 43.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 15.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Mission Hills get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mission Hills since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on March 29, 2006. 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)