The Town FilesOrcutt, California
Community in Santa Barbara County · population 32,034 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $624,500
- Household income
- $111,416
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 73°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 39.9
Orcutt is a community of 32,034 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $624,500, close to the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 97% of California towns, more of a college town than 90% of California towns, easier by car than 79% of California towns.
How Orcutt 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 Orcutt is worth $624,500, close to the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $111,416, which is more affordable than 64% of California towns. Median rent is $2,193 a month. 77.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Orcutt | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $624,500 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,193 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $111,416 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 77.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.6% | — |
Who lives in Orcutt
| People | Orcutt | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.2% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 24.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 9.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 11.1% | — |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Orcutt
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
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Orcutt since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on November 29, 2001 about 5.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 29, 2001.
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 Orcutt itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.
Public schools in Orcutt
2 public schools with 919 students, about 23.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orcutt Academy Charter (charter) | K-12 | 778 | 22.9 |
| Olive Grove Charter - Orcutt/Santa Maria (charter) | K-12 | 141 | 23.5 |
Towns near Orcutt
- Santa Maria, CA4.6 mi · 109,707 people · home $531,700
- Guadalupe, CA10.8 mi · 8,057 people · home $495,600
- Vandenberg AFB, CA10.9 mi · 3,559 people · home —
- Vandenberg Village, CA11.1 mi · 7,308 people · home $637,100
- Nipomo, CA12.0 mi · 18,176 people · home $723,700
- Mission Hills, CA12.5 mi · 3,571 people · home $492,900
- Lompoc, CA14.5 mi · 44,444 people · home $472,900
- Oceano, CA19.2 mi · 7,183 people · home $556,100
Orcutt questions
Is Orcutt, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Orcutt scores better for retirees than 51% of California towns and quieter than 38%. 20.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.9).
How much does a house cost in Orcutt?
The median owner-occupied home in Orcutt is valued at $624,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $111,416, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $2,193 a month.
What is the weather like in Orcutt?
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 Orcutt get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Orcutt since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on November 29, 2001. 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)