The Town FilesSanta Barbara, California
City in Santa Barbara County · population 88,665 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,570,800
- Household income
- $106,182
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 76°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 39.7
Santa Barbara is a city of 88,665 people in Santa Barbara County, California. The median home is worth $1,570,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 97% of California towns, better for cycling than 97% of California towns, hipper than 94% of California towns.
How Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara is worth $1,570,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 14.8 times the median household income of $106,182, which is more affordable than 1% of California towns. Median rent is $2,413 a month. 39.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Santa Barbara | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,570,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,413 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $106,182 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 14.8× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 39.9% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1965 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.3% | — |
Who lives in Santa Barbara
| People | Santa Barbara | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 17.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 19.9% | — |
| Work from home | 18.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 17.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Santa Barbara
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
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Barbara since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on March 21, 2023 about 10.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 21, 2023.
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 Santa Barbara itself the ACS puts it at 5.8%.
Public schools in Santa Barbara
35 public schools with 13,751 students, about 18.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Senior High | 9-12 | 2,046 | 21.3 |
| San Marcos Senior High | 9-12 | 1,943 | 20.9 |
| La Colina Junior High | 7-8 | 893 | 20.3 |
| Peabody Charter (charter) | K-6 | 776 | 23.5 |
| Santa Barbara Junior High | 7-8 | 502 | 15.2 |
| Adams Elementary | K-6 | 491 | 17.5 |
| Washington Elementary | K-6 | 486 | 18.0 |
| Roosevelt Elementary | K-6 | 477 | 21.7 |
| La Cumbre Junior High | 7-8 | 450 | 16.1 |
| Franklin Elementary | K-6 | 436 | 19.8 |
| Foothill Elementary | K-6 | 397 | 23.4 |
| Harding University Partnership | K-6 | 378 | 18.0 |
Towns near Santa Barbara
- Mission Canyon, CA3.6 mi · 2,540 people · home $2,000,001
- Montecito, CA4.7 mi · 8,638 people · home $2,000,001
- Eastern Goleta Valley, CA4.9 mi · 28,656 people · home $1,361,700
- University of California-Santa Barbara, CA7.6 mi · 9,710 people · home $452,900
- Isla Vista, CA8.4 mi · 15,500 people · home $1,218,800
- Goleta, CA8.6 mi · 32,690 people · home $1,062,100
- Carpinteria, CA12.2 mi · 13,264 people · home $1,043,100
- Oak View, CA23.6 mi · 6,215 people · home $819,100
Santa Barbara questions
Is Santa Barbara, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santa Barbara scores better for retirees than 51% of California towns and quieter than 20%. 20.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.7).
How much does a house cost in Santa Barbara?
The median owner-occupied home in Santa Barbara is valued at $1,570,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $106,182, so homes cost about 14.8 times income. Median rent is $2,413 a month.
What is the weather like in Santa Barbara?
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 Santa Barbara get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Barbara since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on March 21, 2023. 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)