Population 15,994 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Carpinteria
Household size in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.60 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.59 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.59 people per household, Carpinteria sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in California overall, where it has 3.01 people. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.3 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.2 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.2, Carpinteria is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 43.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.5% of households in Carpinteria, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 63 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Carpinteria
Renters in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.1% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.0% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Carpinteria rent their homes (38.2%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Even so, renters make up a smaller share here than in California overall (44.1%). Among homeowners, 46.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 2.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Carpinteria: 13.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has risen 4.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Carpinteria run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. That is in line with the rest of California.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,389 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,573 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,149 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,514 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,125 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Carpinteria pays $2,514 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,125 a month from 2006–10, an 81% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 34.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Carpinteria
Bachelor's degrees in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.2% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.5% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.3% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +15.1 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than four in ten adults 25 and older in Carpinteria (45.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 15.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.2% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Carpinteria never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Even so, the rate is higher than in California overall (84.2%). The share with a diploma has risen 6.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Carpinteria
| Period | Carpinteria | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Carpinteria runs below the national rate: 3.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people, only 40 have lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 3.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Carpinteria compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpinteria | 2.59 | 45.2 | 5.5% | 38.2% | 13.1% | 1975 | $2,514 | 45.3% | 86.2% | 3.5% |
| Toro Canyon | 2.10 | 58.6 | 1.4% | 37.7% | 13.0% | 1962 | $2,204 | 45.2% | 90.7% | 4.6% |
| Summerland | 2.16 | 51.7 | 3.9% | 34.9% | 21.1% | 1974 | $2,215 | 61.6% | 93.6% | 13.6% |
| Montecito | 2.27 | 50.4 | 5.2% | 26.2% | 15.4% | 1974 | $3,239 | 72.4% | 98.2% | 3.2% |
| Meiners Oaks | 2.87 | 50.0 | 9.1% | 8.3% | 15.4% | 1979 | $1,949 | 44.7% | 93.1% | 17.2% |
| Santa Barbara | 2.52 | 43.5 | 10.3% | 52.1% | 7.7% | 1966 | $2,707 | 51.6% | 89.6% | 5.2% |
| Oak View | 2.69 | 46.9 | 3.7% | 18.8% | 5.6% | 1971 | $2,590 | 32.5% | 87.3% | 5.3% |
| Mira Monte | 2.42 | 50.2 | 5.3% | 16.6% | 4.9% | 1970 | $2,137 | 37.9% | 92.0% | 7.5% |
| San Buenaventura | 3.52 | 32.6 | 51.8% | 42.7% | 6.2% | 1994 | $1,929 | 38.2% | 92.1% | 2.0% |
| Wheeler Springs | 2.06 | 50.2 | 5.3% | 22.6% | 26.1% | 1983 | $1,950 | 28.1% | 85.3% | 17.7% |
| Ojai | 2.41 | 48.8 | 11.1% | 35.7% | 8.9% | 1971 | $2,210 | 40.5% | 88.5% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Huntingtown, MD · Oakdale, PA · Northborough, MA · North Reading, MA · North Easton, MA · North Chicago, IL · Irondale, AL · Hutchinson, MN · Huron, SD · Ocean Acres, NJ
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Carpinteria. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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