Population 443,701 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Santa Barbara County
Household size in Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.97 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.05 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.08 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.02 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Santa Barbara County is a place of big households: 3.02 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.97, even as the national average fell.
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 Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.0 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.2 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Santa Barbara County is 37.6 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.6, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the center.
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 Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Santa Barbara County than nationally: 13.8%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Santa Barbara County
Renters in Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.9% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 47.7% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.9% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.6% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Santa Barbara County than nationally: 47.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 36.9% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.8 points, in line with the national trend. Of California's 58 counties, only three have a higher share of renters.
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 Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Santa Barbara County: 7.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. California as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 0.9 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Santa Barbara County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1972 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the center, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,380 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,461 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,839 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,339 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$959 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Santa Barbara County runs $2,339 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $959 a month since 2006–10, up 69%, 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 south; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Santa Barbara County
Bachelor's degrees in Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.3% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.5% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.7% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Santa Barbara County as nationally: 34.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.4 points, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northwest.
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 Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.4% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.8% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.5% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Santa Barbara County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 1.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Santa Barbara County
| Period | Santa Barbara County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Santa Barbara County than nationally: unemployment was 6.5%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Santa Barbara County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County | 3.02 | 37.6 | 13.8% | 47.6% | 7.2% | 1976 | $2,339 | 34.7% | 80.1% | 6.5% |
| Yavapai County | 2.25 | 53.0 | 7.7% | 24.9% | 10.8% | 1994 | $1,494 | 30.4% | 92.7% | 4.4% |
| Valencia County | 2.84 | 41.1 | 13.4% | 16.8% | 11.0% | 1990 | $1,094 | 21.1% | 86.1% | 6.3% |
| Parmer County | 3.05 | 36.6 | 12.2% | 27.9% | 14.4% | 1972 | $1,011 | 16.3% | 67.8% | 2.9% |
| Castro County | 3.05 | 33.7 | 13.8% | 36.4% | 17.8% | 1966 | $980 | 18.9% | 74.7% | 3.9% |
| Swisher County | 2.66 | 37.7 | 15.0% | 33.6% | 22.2% | 1960 | $897 | 16.7% | 80.7% | 3.4% |
| Hall County | 2.37 | 45.2 | 14.5% | 26.4% | 27.6% | 1960 | $539 | 21.5% | 83.3% | 9.5% |
| Harmon County | 2.39 | 41.0 | 15.2% | 30.3% | 28.0% | 1962 | $677 | 12.5% | 79.0% | 7.3% |
| Jackson County | 2.49 | 37.3 | 12.5% | 40.8% | 17.8% | 1976 | $866 | 26.4% | 86.5% | 5.0% |
| Comanche County | 2.65 | 36.3 | 14.8% | 44.4% | 13.9% | 1981 | $1,082 | 25.2% | 91.6% | 7.4% |
| Stephens County | 2.47 | 41.5 | 10.5% | 25.6% | 13.6% | 1974 | $934 | 20.0% | 89.3% | 5.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Anoka County, MN · Bell County, TX · Berks County, PA · Brazoria County, TX · Burlington County, NJ · Butler County, OH · Camden County, NJ · Morris County, NJ · Pulaski County, AR · Prince William County, VA
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 Santa Barbara County. 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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