Population 1,140 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Isla Vista
Household size in Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.20 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.00 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.25 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.76 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Isla Vista has 2.44 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 3.20 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 19.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 19.5 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 19.4 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.5 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Isla Vista is young: half of its residents are under 19.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties.
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 Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Isla Vista (11.3%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in California as a whole (12.3%).
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 Isla Vista
Renters in Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 100.0% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 100.0% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 100.0% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +16.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Isla Vista: 100.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 36.6% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%.
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 Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 34.7% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Isla Vista: 5.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing.
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 Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1988 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1998 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2001 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +4 | +6 |
Isla Vista has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2001, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,262 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,425 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $3,501 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,100 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$838 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Isla Vista costs $2,100 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in California as a whole ($2,229). The typical renter here spends 49.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Isla Vista
Bachelor's degrees in Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 86.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.8% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 88.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +75.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Isla Vista is highly educated: about nine in ten adults 25 and older (88.2%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
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 Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 100.0% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 100.0% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.1% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.7% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Isla Vista: 98.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Isla Vista
| Period | Isla Vista | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Isla Vista: 16.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
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).
Isla Vista 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isla Vista | 2.44 | 19.4 | 11.3% | 100.0% | 5.7% | 2001 | $2,100 | 88.2% | 98.7% | 16.8% |
| Goleta | 2.73 | 31.3 | 8.4% | 62.7% | 6.4% | 1980 | $2,548 | 50.6% | 91.3% | 8.8% |
| Ellwood | 2.79 | 40.4 | 4.3% | 37.5% | 3.0% | 1976 | $2,261 | 49.3% | 92.5% | 6.2% |
| Santa Barbara | 2.52 | 43.5 | 10.3% | 52.1% | 7.7% | 1966 | $2,707 | 51.6% | 89.6% | 5.2% |
| Montecito | 2.27 | 50.4 | 5.2% | 26.2% | 15.4% | 1974 | $3,239 | 72.4% | 98.2% | 3.2% |
| Summerland | 2.16 | 51.7 | 3.9% | 34.9% | 21.1% | 1974 | $2,215 | 61.6% | 93.6% | 13.6% |
| Toro Canyon | 2.10 | 58.6 | 1.4% | 37.7% | 13.0% | 1962 | $2,204 | 45.2% | 90.7% | 4.6% |
| Carpinteria | 2.59 | 45.2 | 5.5% | 38.2% | 13.1% | 1975 | $2,514 | 45.3% | 86.2% | 3.5% |
| Las Cruces | 2.61 | 46.8 | 5.9% | 62.1% | 16.6% | 1968 | $1,917 | 39.3% | 85.5% | 0.3% |
| Meiners Oaks | 2.87 | 50.0 | 9.1% | 8.3% | 15.4% | 1979 | $1,949 | 44.7% | 93.1% | 17.2% |
| Oak View | 2.69 | 46.9 | 3.7% | 18.8% | 5.6% | 1971 | $2,590 | 32.5% | 87.3% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cimarron, NM · Bloomburg, TX · Bostwick, GA · Braden, TN · Brandon, IA · Buckner, KY · Cannon Town, FL · Carpendale, WV · Chadwicks, NY · Waxia, LA
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 Isla Vista. 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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