Population 21,217 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Westside-Santa Barbara
Household size in Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.52 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.09 | 2.68 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.57 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.69 | 2.52 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.69 people per household, Westside-Santa Barbara sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Santa Barbara as a whole, where it has 2.52 people. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.77, as it has nationally.
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 Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6 | 41.5 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.8 | 41.3 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.6 | 42.5 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.6 | 43.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.6, Westside-Santa Barbara is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults and children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.6, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the west.
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 Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 9.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 9.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 10.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +1.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Westside-Santa Barbara (15.7%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.0 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 Westside-Santa Barbara
Renters in Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.1% | 48.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 77.9% | 50.5% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 76.4% | 50.8% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 75.4% | 52.1% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +3.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Westside-Santa Barbara rent: 75.4% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 31.3% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 8.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 7.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −0.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Westside-Santa Barbara than nationally: 7.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across Santa Barbara.
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 Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1962 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1964 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1964 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1966 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Westside-Santa Barbara is a place of older homes: half were built before 1965, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the west.
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 Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,339 | $1,544 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,478 | $1,642 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,710 | $2,088 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,384 | $2,707 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,045 | +$1,163 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Westside-Santa Barbara costs $2,384 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Santa Barbara as a whole ($2,707). Rents are up $1,045 a month from 2006–10, a 78% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.6% of the typical renter's income, 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 Westside-Santa Barbara
Bachelor's degrees in Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.9% | 43.1% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.2% | 44.6% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.7% | 49.1% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.6% | 51.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +8.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Westside-Santa Barbara as nationally: 38.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Santa Barbara as a whole (51.6%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.7 points, mirroring the country.
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 Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.3% | 85.5% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 69.3% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 72.8% | 87.5% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.2% | 89.6% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +4.1 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Westside-Santa Barbara never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 7.9 points, 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 Westside-Santa Barbara
| Period | Westside-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 6.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 3.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 5.2% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Westside-Santa Barbara: 7.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Westside-Santa Barbara compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westside-Santa Barbara | 2.69 | 34.6 | 15.7% | 75.4% | 7.8% | 1965 | $2,384 | 38.6% | 80.2% | 7.8% |
| Waterfront | 2.04 | 39.1 | 15.2% | 80.7% | 10.1% | 1968 | $2,504 | 48.3% | 90.0% | 5.6% |
| Mesa | 2.38 | 47.9 | 8.7% | 40.6% | 7.8% | 1964 | $2,812 | 61.0% | 96.2% | 6.3% |
| Lower East | 2.70 | 37.1 | 12.6% | 70.0% | 4.8% | 1962 | $2,351 | 36.7% | 80.2% | 5.0% |
| Las Positas | 2.53 | 52.4 | 3.6% | 34.8% | 12.4% | 1968 | $3,292 | 60.0% | 94.7% | 3.8% |
| Eastside Santa Barbara | 2.99 | 41.0 | 15.0% | 56.3% | 1.6% | 1951 | $2,712 | 30.9% | 79.7% | 5.9% |
| Upper State | 2.31 | 48.3 | 6.3% | 47.4% | 9.3% | 1966 | $2,662 | 59.0% | 93.9% | 5.1% |
| Riviera | 2.43 | 46.1 | 7.3% | 35.6% | 8.1% | 1963 | $2,675 | 62.6% | 92.6% | 2.7% |
| Sea View Estates | 3.87 | 30.8 | 27.4% | 31.6% | 6.6% | 1982 | $1,907 | 25.0% | 78.9% | 5.7% |
| Via Marina | 2.71 | 44.9 | 2.8% | 39.2% | 10.0% | 1976 | $2,317 | 34.2% | 85.1% | 6.9% |
| Sierra Linda | 4.07 | 29.1 | 25.5% | 62.5% | 4.2% | 1970 | $1,897 | 10.0% | 67.5% | 8.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Weston Ranch, Stockton, CA · Western Branch North, Chesapeake, VA · Back of the Yards, Chicago, IL · Bassett, West Puente Valley, CA · Bay Terraces, San Diego, CA · Beach Haven, Jacksonville, FL · Belair, Augusta, GA · Brightwood, Washington, DC · Burns Park, Ann Arbor, MI · Camp Pendleton South, Oceanside, CA
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 Westside-Santa Barbara. 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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