Santa Barbara, CA

Census Place

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2024 Population
87,779
US Senator
Alex Padilla
Democratic Party
US Senator
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
39.7
0.761% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
14%
7.14% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$106,182
4.44% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$1.57M
7.12% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
45,058
2.48% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Santa Barbara, 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.

88.4% of the residents in Santa Barbara, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Santa Barbara, CA are Santa Barbara City College (3,744 degrees awarded in 2023), Fielding Graduate University (440 degrees), and Antioch University-Santa Barbara (117 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Santa Barbara, CA was $1.57M, and the homeownership rate was 39.9%.

Most people in Santa Barbara, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Santa Barbara, CA was 2 cars per household.

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

Population & Diversity

Santa Barbara, CA is home to a population of 87.8k people, from which 88.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 19.9% of Santa Barbara, CA residents were born outside of the country (17.4k people).

In 2024, there were 3.61 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (46.3k people) in Santa Barbara, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.8k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 12k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

88.4%
2024 Citizenship
87.7%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 88.4% of Santa Barbara, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Santa Barbara, CA was 87.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara, CA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    46.3k ± 1.57k
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    12.8k ± 1.86k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    12k ± 1.44k
36.4%
Hispanic Population
32k people

In 2024, there were 3.61 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (46.3k people) in Santa Barbara, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.8k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 12k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

36.4% of the people in Santa Barbara, CA are hispanic (32k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Santa Barbara, 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

19.9%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
17.4k people
20.4%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
18k people

As of 2024, 19.9% of Santa Barbara, CA residents (17.4k 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 Santa Barbara, CA was 20.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    1,155 ± 234
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    479 ± 205
  3. Korea
    230 ± 107

Santa Barbara, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.41 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Santa Barbara, CA.

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Economy

The economy of Santa Barbara, CA employs 45.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Santa Barbara, CA were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (6,278 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,003 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (4,810 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($118,203), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($111,250), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($108,141).

Employment

Occupations

45.1k
2024 Value
± 1,812
−2.48%
1 Year decline
± 5.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Santa Barbara, CA declined at a rate of −2.48%, from 46.2k employees to 45.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Santa Barbara, CA, are Management Occupations (6,831 people), Sales & Related Occupations (4,021 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,675 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Santa Barbara, 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

45.1k
2024 Value
± 1,812
−2.48%
1 Year decline
± 5.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Santa Barbara, CA declined at a rate of −2.48%, from 46.2k employees to 45.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Santa Barbara, CA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (6,278 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,003 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (4,810 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Santa Barbara, CA, though some of these residents may live in Santa Barbara, 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

$64,510
Median earning men ± $5,360
$53,051
Median earning women ± $4,987

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($133,661), Information ($120,625), and Manufacturing ($103,958).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($88,173), Construction ($82,552), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($80,833).

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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 Santa Barbara, 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 Santa Barbara, CA awarded 4,318 degrees. The student population of Santa Barbara, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 5,890 male students and 7,752 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Santa Barbara, CA are White (1,886 and 45.7%), Hispanic or Latino (1,454 and 35.2%), Two or More Races (275 and 6.67%), and Asian (190 and 4.6%).

The largest universities in Santa Barbara, CA by number of degrees awarded are Santa Barbara City College (3,744 and 86.7%), Fielding Graduate University (440 and 10.2%), and Antioch University-Santa Barbara (117 and 2.71%).

The most popular majors in Santa Barbara, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,373 and 31.8%), Biological & Physical Sciences (362 and 8.38%), and Humanistic Studies (317 and 7.34%).

The median tuition cost in Santa Barbara, CA for private four year colleges is $19,260.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 13,642 students enrolled in Santa Barbara, CA, 43.2% men and 56.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 5,212 records, of which 56.5% were women and 43.5% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Humanistic Studies
    317 degrees awarded
  2. Liberal Arts & Sciences
    419 degrees awarded
  3. Biological & Physical Sciences
    362 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Santa Barbara, CA was Humanistic Studies with 317 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Santa Barbara, CA according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Santa Barbara City College
    3,744 degrees awarded
  2. Fielding Graduate University
    440 degrees awarded
  3. Antioch University-Santa Barbara
    117 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Santa Barbara City College with 3,744 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 1,433 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Santa Barbara, CA, which is 0.497 times less than the 2,885 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 1,886 degrees mean that there were 1.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,454 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($19,260) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($300) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,152) 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 Santa Barbara, CA was $1.57M in 2024, which is 4.72 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $1.47M to $1.57M, a 7.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Santa Barbara, CA is 39.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Santa Barbara, CA have an average commute time of 17.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Santa Barbara, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$1.57M
Median Property Value 2024
±$58,636
$14,466
Median Property Taxes
±$857

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 Santa Barbara, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

39.9%
Homeownership
2024
69.1%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 39.9% of the housing units in Santa Barbara, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 39.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Santa Barbara, 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.
$106,182
Median Household Income
± $5,647
36.3k
Number of Households
± 1,527

In 2024, the median household income of the 36.3k households in Santa Barbara, CA grew to $106,182 from the previous year's value of $101,672.

The following chart displays the households in Santa Barbara, 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 $200k+ range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Santa Barbara, 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 (60.8%)
  2. Worked At Home (18.9%)
  3. Carpooled (8.5%)

In 2024, 60.8% of workers in Santa Barbara, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.9%) and those who carpooled to work (8.5%).

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

17.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Santa Barbara, CA have a shorter commute time (17.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.67% of the workforce in Santa Barbara, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Santa Barbara, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Santa Barbara, CA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Santa Barbara, CA (12.2k out of 87k 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 Females 25 - 34 and then Males 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Santa Barbara, CA is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

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

91.8% of the population of Santa Barbara, CA has health coverage, with 44.7% on employee plans, 18% on Medicaid, 14.8% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 0.469% 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, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.3% under 18 years, 25.4% between 18 and 34 years, 35.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.2%
Uninsured
44.7%
Employer Coverage
18%
Medicaid
14.8%
Medicare
13.9%
Non-Group
0.469%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Santa Barbara, CA declined by 12.6% from 9.38% to 8.2%.

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

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