Population 5,736 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Santa Ynez
Household size in Santa Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.85 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.23 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Santa Ynez holds 2.85 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Even so, the typical household here is smaller than in California overall, where it has 3.01 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.62, 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 Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.8 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.6 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.4 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −4.5 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Santa Ynez skews older than the country: its median age is 43.4, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has dropped from 47.8 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Santa Ynez as they are nationally: 12.4%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 6.2 points from 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 Ynez
Renters in Santa Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.5% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.0% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Santa Ynez rent their homes (28.5%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 48.0% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Santa Ynez: 16.3% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has risen 7.3 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 Santa Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Santa Ynez was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980).
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 Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,235 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,602 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,520 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,367 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,132 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Santa Ynez pays $2,367 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,132 a month since 2006–10, up 92%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 26.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Ynez
Bachelor's degrees in Santa Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.8% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.5% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 35.7% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Santa Ynez as nationally: 35.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has fallen 4.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southwest.
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 Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.3% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.1% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.9% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.2% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Santa Ynez have finished high school (92.2%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Ynez
| Period | Santa Ynez | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.0% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Santa Ynez runs below the national rate: 4.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Santa Ynez has lower unemployment than the great majority of California cities. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 Ynez 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ynez | 2.85 | 43.4 | 12.4% | 28.5% | 16.3% | 1979 | $2,367 | 35.7% | 92.2% | 4.5% |
| Los Olivos | 2.26 | 57.0 | 7.0% | 11.4% | 9.5% | 1980 | $2,051 | 58.1% | 96.6% | 4.7% |
| Solvang | 2.25 | 53.2 | 6.6% | 41.9% | 8.6% | 1981 | $2,064 | 41.6% | 91.3% | 4.3% |
| Buellton | 2.73 | 40.6 | 13.5% | 41.0% | 14.1% | 1996 | $2,050 | 40.4% | 91.1% | 2.2% |
| Las Cruces | 2.61 | 46.8 | 5.9% | 62.1% | 16.6% | 1968 | $1,917 | 39.3% | 85.5% | 0.3% |
| Los Alamos | 2.39 | 54.4 | 5.9% | 28.2% | 16.7% | 1992 | $2,569 | 23.1% | 90.0% | 4.7% |
| Surf | 2.69 | 48.1 | 6.8% | 62.3% | 16.8% | 1968 | $1,917 | 39.9% | 83.5% | 0.0% |
| Lompoc | 2.90 | 36.5 | 17.5% | 48.3% | 6.7% | 1974 | $1,814 | 14.6% | 74.4% | 6.8% |
| Vandenberg Village | 2.66 | 44.5 | 6.3% | 25.7% | 6.6% | 1971 | $2,410 | 38.2% | 94.9% | 9.1% |
| Vandenberg AFB | 2.78 | 25.1 | 7.5% | 100.0% | 1.4% | 2001 | $2,745 | 47.8% | 100.0% | 6.2% |
| Vandenberg Air Force Base | 3.31 | 23.3 | 7.5% | 100.0% | 1.4% | 2001 | $2,745 | 55.8% | 100.0% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Laguna Beach, FL · Prague, OK · Lewisburg, WV · Lemoyne, PA · Leetonia, OH · Leavenworth, WA · Landing, NJ · Lakeview, GA · Lake Isabella, CA · Lake Helen, FL
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 Ynez. 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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