Isla Vista, CA

Census Place

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2024 Population
13,920
US Senator
Alex Padilla
Democratic Party
US Senator
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party
2024 Poverty Rate
70.4%
1.55% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$25,972
6.32% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$1.22M
1.84% 1-year decline
2024 Employed Population
6,728
1.57% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Isla Vista, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

92.3% of the residents in Isla Vista, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Isla Vista, CA are University of California-Santa Barbara (8,030 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Isla Vista, CA was $1.22M, and the homeownership rate was 1.22%.

Most people in Isla Vista, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Isla Vista, CA was 1 car per household.

United StatesCaliforniaSanta Barbara County, CASanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CASanta Barbara County--South Coast Region PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Isla Vista, CA is home to a population of 13.9k people, from which 92.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 10.2% of Isla Vista, CA residents were born outside of the country (1.42k people).

In 2024, there were 3.49 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.58k people) in Isla Vista, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.17k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 1k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.3%
2024 Citizenship
90.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.3% of Isla Vista, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Isla Vista, CA was 90.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Isla Vista, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Isla Vista, CA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    7.58k ± 850
  2. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    2.17k ± 378
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    1k ± 400
20.4%
Hispanic Population
2.83k people

In 2024, there were 3.49 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.58k people) in Isla Vista, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.17k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 1k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

20.4% of the people in Isla Vista, CA are hispanic (2.83k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Isla Vista, CA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
  2. Philippines
    824,246 ± 22,054 people
  3. China
    687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

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Foreign-Born Population

10.2%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
1.42k people
11.7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.6k people

As of 2024, 10.2% of Isla Vista, CA residents (1.42k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Isla Vista, CA was 11.7%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Isla Vista, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    30 ± 49
  2. World War II
    10 ± 16

Isla Vista, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Isla Vista, CA.

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Economy

The economy of Isla Vista, CA employs 6.73k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Isla Vista, CA were Accommodation & Food Services (1,633 people), Educational Services (1,394 people), and Retail Trade (907 people), and the highest paying industries were Construction ($46,935), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($30,074), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($25,625).

Employment

Occupations

6.73k
2024 Value
± 774
1.57%
1 Year growth
± 15.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Isla Vista, CA grew at a rate of 1.57%, from 6.62k employees to 6.73k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Isla Vista, CA, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,251 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (892 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (729 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Isla Vista, CA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

6.73k
2024 Value
± 774
1.57%
1 Year growth
± 15.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Isla Vista, CA grew at a rate of 1.57%, from 6.62k employees to 6.73k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Isla Vista, CA, are Accommodation & Food Services (1,633 people), Educational Services (1,394 people), and Retail Trade (907 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Isla Vista, CA, though some of these residents may live in Isla Vista, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$20,142
Median earning men ± $8,886
$9,345
Median earning women ± $2,538

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Other Services Except Public Administration ($72,917), Construction ($46,935), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($26,571).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($30,956), Retail Trade ($13,149), and Information ($11,004).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Y-Axis
2.57%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Isla Vista, CA. Showing the available data for California.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (58.5%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Alex Padilla
Senator from California3
Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.
Adam Schiff
Senator from California1
Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Isla Vista, CA awarded 8,030 degrees. The student population of Isla Vista, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 11,441 male students and 14,627 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Isla Vista, CA are White (2,599 and 38.2%), Hispanic or Latino (1,855 and 27.3%), Asian (1,333 and 19.6%), and Two or More Races (662 and 9.74%).

The largest universities in Isla Vista, CA by number of degrees awarded are University of California-Santa Barbara (8,030 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Isla Vista, CA are Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (718 and 8.94%), Sociology (704 and 8.77%), and General Communication (629 and 7.83%).

The median tuition cost in Isla Vista, CA for a public four year colleges is $11,834 for in-state students and $42,611 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Isla Vista, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 27.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 26,068 (43.9% men and 56.1% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 26,068 students enrolled in Isla Vista, CA, 43.9% men and 56.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 8,369 records, of which 57.6% were women and 42.4% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
    696 degrees awarded
  2. Sociology
    692 degrees awarded
  3. General Communication
    620 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Isla Vista, CA was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 696 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Isla Vista, CA according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
University of California-Santa Barbara
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
8,030 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of California-Santa Barbara with 8,030 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 3,574 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Isla Vista, CA, which is 0.802 times less than the 4,456 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,599 degrees mean that there were 1.4 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,855 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($11,834) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,131) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,343) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Isla Vista, CA was $1.22M in 2024, which is 3.66 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $1.24M to $1.22M, a 1.84% decrease. The homeownership rate in Isla Vista, CA is 1.22%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Isla Vista, CA have an average commute time of 15.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Isla Vista, CA is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$1.22M
Median Property Value 2024
±$877,610
$58
Median Property Taxes
±$76

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Isla Vista, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Isla Vista, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

1.22%
Homeownership
2024
100%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 1.22% of the housing units in Isla Vista, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 0.981%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Isla Vista, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$25,972
Median Household Income
± $5,478
4.76k
Number of Households
± 573

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.76k households in Isla Vista, CA grew to $25,972 from the previous year's value of $24,428.

The following chart displays the households in Isla Vista, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Isla Vista, CA is from California.
0.495
2023 Wage GINI in California
0.498
2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (50%)
  2. Walked (19.3%)
  3. Bicycle (12.8%)

In 2024, 50% of workers in Isla Vista, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (19.3%) and those who used a bicycle to get to work (12.8%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

15.6 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Isla Vista, CA have a shorter commute time (15.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.601% of the workforce in Isla Vista, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Isla Vista, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

1 car
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Isla Vista, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Isla Vista, CA have 1 car.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

70.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Isla Vista, CA (8.44k out of 12k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Isla Vista, CA is White, followed by Asian and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

95.4% of the population of Isla Vista, CA has health coverage, with 54.9% on employee plans, 9.16% on Medicaid, 1.78% on Medicare, 29% on non-group plans, and 0.576% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 7.47% under 18 years, 86.4% between 18 and 34 years, 3.78% between 35 and 64 years, and 2.35% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.5% were men and 53.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

4.58%
Uninsured
54.9%
Employer Coverage
9.16%
Medicaid
1.78%
Medicare
29%
Non-Group
0.576%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Isla Vista, CA declined by 9.76% from 5.07% to 4.58%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Isla Vista, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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