Santa Barbara County, CA

County

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2023 Population

443,975

0.278% 1-year decline

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

34.5

0.583% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

13.8%

1.79% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$95,977

3.95% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$735,700

2.92% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

206,977

0.772% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Santa Barbara County, CA had a population of 444k people with a median age of 34.5 and a median household income of $95,977. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Santa Barbara County, CA declined from 445,213 to 443,975, a −0.278% decrease and its median household income grew from $92,332 to $95,977, a 3.95% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Santa Barbara County, CA are White (Non-Hispanic) (41.5%), Two+ (Hispanic) (19.7%), Other (Hispanic) (13.2%), White (Hispanic) (12.7%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.15%).

None of the households in Santa Barbara County, 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.

86.6% of the residents in Santa Barbara County, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Santa Barbara County, CA are University of California-Santa Barbara (7,814 degrees awarded in 2022), Santa Barbara City College (3,767 degrees), and Allan Hancock College (3,289 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Santa Barbara County, CA was $735,700, and the homeownership rate was 52.9%.

Most people in Santa Barbara County, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Santa Barbara County, CA was 2 cars per household.

Santa Barbara County, CA borders Kern County, CA, San Luis Obispo County, CA, and Ventura County, CA.

Photo by alex.lubbock

United States California Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Population & Diversity

Santa Barbara County, CA is home to a population of 444k people, from which 86.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 22.1% of Santa Barbara County, CA residents were born outside of the country (98.1k people).

In 2023, there were 2.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (184k people) in Santa Barbara County, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 87.6k Two+ (Hispanic) and 58.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

86.6%

2023 Citizenship

86.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 86.6% of Santa Barbara County, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Santa Barbara County, CA was 86.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Santa Barbara County, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
184k ± 534
Two+ (Hispanic)
87.6k ± 3.77k
Other (Hispanic)
58.7k ± 3.3k

47.6%

Hispanic Population

211k people

47.6% of the people in Santa Barbara County, CA are hispanic (211k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Santa Barbara County, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,899,021 ± 46,015 people
Philippines
824,230 ± 22,055 people
China
685,370 ± 20,148 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,899,021 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,230 and China with 685,370.

Foreign-Born Population

22.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

98.1k people

22.2%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

98.8k people

As of 2023, 22.1% of Santa Barbara County, CA residents (98.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Santa Barbara County, CA was 22.2%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6,710 ± 528
Gulf War (2001-)
3,361 ± 496
Gulf War (1990s)
1,955 ± 356

Santa Barbara County, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Santa Barbara County, CA employs 207k people. The largest industries in Santa Barbara County, CA are Health Care & Social Assistance (24,517 people), Educational Services (23,155 people), and Retail Trade (19,881 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($108,179), Utilities ($103,472), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($97,354).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $75,777. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.498, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

207k

2023 Value

± 3,727

−0.772%

1 Year decline

± 2.56%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Santa Barbara County, CA declined at a rate of −0.772%, from 209k employees to 207k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Santa Barbara County, CA, are Management Occupations (23,698 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (18,965 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (17,346 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Santa Barbara County, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

207k

2023 Value

± 3,727

−0.772%

1 Year decline

± 2.56%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Santa Barbara County, CA declined at a rate of −0.772%, from 209k employees to 207k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Santa Barbara County, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (24,517 people), Educational Services (23,155 people), and Retail Trade (19,881 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Santa Barbara County, CA, though some of these residents may live in Santa Barbara County, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,256

Median earning men ± $1,290

$36,718

Median earning women ± $1,033

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($96,042), Public Administration ($96,017), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($88,183).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($65,909), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($59,590), and Information ($58,661).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,089
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
779
Health Care and Social Assistance
749
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.59M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.31M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$1.06M
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Santa Barbara County, CA went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 64.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (32.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.21%).

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (64.9%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (32.8%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.21%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Santa Barbara County, CA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

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 California

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Santa Barbara County, CA awarded 16,072 degrees. The student population of Santa Barbara County, CA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 23,689 male students and 29,954 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Santa Barbara County, CA are Hispanic or Latino (5,833 and 39.3%), followed by White (5,332 and 35.9%), Asian (1,749 and 11.8%), and Two or More Races (943 and 6.35%).

The largest universities in Santa Barbara County, CA by number of degrees awarded are University of California-Santa Barbara (7,814 and 48.6%), Santa Barbara City College (3,767 and 23.4%), and Allan Hancock College (3,289 and 20.5%).

The most popular majors in Santa Barbara County, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (2,888 and 18%), Sociology (799 and 4.97%), and Biological & Physical Sciences (748 and 4.65%).

The median tuition costs in Santa Barbara County, CA are $33,330 for private four year colleges, and $11,564 and $41,636 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Santa Barbara County, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 27%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 53,643 (44.2% men and 55.8% 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 53,643 students enrolled in Santa Barbara County, CA, 44.2% men and 55.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 18,690 records, of which 59.5% were women and 40.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Experimental Psychology
456 degrees awarded
Sociology
684 degrees awarded
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
656 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Santa Barbara County, CA was Experimental Psychology with 456 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of California-Santa Barbara
7,814 degrees awarded
Santa Barbara City College
3,767 degrees awarded
Allan Hancock College
3,289 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of California-Santa Barbara with 7,814 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 6,496 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Santa Barbara County, CA, which is 0.678 times less than the 9,576 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 5,833 degrees mean that there were 1.09 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 5,332 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($33,330) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($3,053) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 2.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.26% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (6.9M), High School or Equivalent (6.8M), and Bachelors Degree (6.36M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Santa Barbara County, CA was $735,700 in 2023, which is 2.42 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $714,800 to $735,700, a 2.92% increase. The homeownership rate in Santa Barbara County, CA is 52.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Santa Barbara County, CA have an average commute time of 20.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Santa Barbara County, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Santa Barbara County, CA is $95,977. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Santa Barbara County, CA was Census Tract 1.03 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 15 and Census Tract 5.01, with respective values of $224,543 and $212,813.

In 2023, 28.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Santa Barbara County, CA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.224%.

Housing

Property

$735,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$11,340

$78,754

Median Property Taxes

±$1,893

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

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

Rent vs Own

52.9%

Homeownership

2023

70.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 52.9% of the housing units in Santa Barbara County, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 52.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Santa Barbara County, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 1.03
Census Tract 15
Census Tract 5.01

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Santa Barbara County, CA was Census Tract 1.03 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 15 and Census Tract 5.01, with respective values of $224,543 and $212,813.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Santa Barbara County, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$95,977

Median Household Income

± $1,875

149k

Number of Households

± 2,976

In 2023, the median household income of the 149k households in Santa Barbara County, CA grew to $95,977 from the previous year's value of $92,332.

The following chart displays the households in Santa Barbara County, 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Santa Barbara County, CA is from California.

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

In 2022, the income inequality in California was 0.498 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.107% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (65.3%)
Worked At Home (12.5%)
Carpooled (11.9%)

In 2023, 65.3% of workers in Santa Barbara County, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.5%) and those who carpooled to work (11.9%).

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.

Commute Time

20.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Santa Barbara County, CA have a shorter commute time (20.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.59% of the workforce in Santa Barbara County, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Santa Barbara County, 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 County, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 28.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Santa Barbara County, CA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.224%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

13.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Santa Barbara County, CA (58.4k out of 424k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. 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 Santa Barbara County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 16.8% of the children was living in poverty in Santa Barbara County, CA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

90.8% of the population of Santa Barbara County, CA has health coverage, with 41.4% on employee plans, 22.9% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 13.5% on non-group plans, and 1.37% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Santa Barbara County, CA see 1316 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.0759% decrease from the previous year (1317 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1133 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 163 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,316 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Santa Barbara County, CA

Primary care physicians in Santa Barbara County, CA see an average of 1,316 patients per year. This represents a 0.0759% decrease from the previous year (1,317 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Santa Barbara County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.1% under 18 years, 25.5% between 18 and 34 years, 33.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.21%

Uninsured

41.4%

Employer Coverage

22.9%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

13.5%

Non-Group

1.37%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Santa Barbara County, CA declined by 4.18% from 9.62% to 9.21%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 41.2 in Santa Barbara County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Santa Barbara County, CA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 30.1% in Santa Barbara County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Santa Barbara County, CA.