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CITY

Montecito

California · 9,031 residents · 9.18 sq mi
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Part of the Santa Maria metro area
The short version

With 9,031 people, Montecito is a city in California. That is roughly 133% ahead of the California median. The median household earns $231,005, about 181% above the national median. 76% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $2,000,000+. At a median age of 50.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 50.0
US median: 38.9
More educated
76% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
9,031
−10%since 2000
from 10,000 in 2000
2000 – 2024
Population density
983 / sq mi
Unchangedsince 2009
from 988 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
50.0
+9%since 2000
from 45.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
9.18 sq mi
Population, 2000 – 2024
8K9K9K10K10K2000201020202024Montecito
20249K
2000201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 52.4%(213)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.6%(412)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.2%(473)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 199.4%(852)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410%(902)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 344.4%(396)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 448.5%(766)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 548.9%(803)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.2%(1,193)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.5%(1,220)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 8414.7%(1,330)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over5.2%(471)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$231,005
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,669 in 2000
US average: $82,259
2000 – 2024
Per capita income
$135,431
+93%since 2000
from $70,077 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
79.2%
+15.3 ptssince 2009
from 63.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.3%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 3.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.543
−8%since 2010
from 0.591 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services16.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Information6%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade5.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade5.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Finance & insurance2.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical1.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$2,000,001
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,000,001 in 2000
US average: $376,019
2000 – 2024
Median gross rent
$3,501
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,355 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
75.8%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 77.8% in 2000
24.2% rent
Vacancy rate
17.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.30 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.24 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
32.9%
−7.0 ptssince 2009
from 39.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
40.8%
−13.5 ptssince 2009
from 54.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
8.7
−6%since 2009
from 9.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
83
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91.3%(9,125)
Black0.4%(44)
Hispanic / Latino5.2%(519)
Asian1.3%(127)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.4%(7,079)
Black0.3%(23)
Hispanic / Latino11.1%(1,003)
Asian2.8%(252)
Other7.5%(674)
Diversity Score
46
+78%since 2009
from 26 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.1%(460)
Venezuelan2.1%(187)
Spaniard2%(177)
Puerto Rican0.5%(48)
Argentine0.2%(20)
Colombian0.2%(17)
Honduran0.1%(12)
Ecuadorian0.1%(12)
Cuban0.1%(9)
Peruvian0.1%(9)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Korean1.1%(95)
Chinese0.5%(49)
Filipino0.4%(32)
Vietnamese0.2%(22)
Asian Indian0.1%(11)
Japanese0.1%(9)
Taiwanese0.1%(7)
Thai0.1%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
English19.2%(1,737)
German13.2%(1,196)
Irish9.9%(891)
American5.8%(527)
Italian5.4%(485)
Scottish4%(358)
Polish3%(270)
Norwegian2.8%(255)
French2.3%(208)
Russian2.3%(208)
British1.9%(169)
Swedish1.8%(164)
+ 27 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh1.5%(137)
Greek1.4%(130)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(121)
Lithuanian1.2%(112)
Dutch1.1%(102)
Finnish1.1%(99)
Danish1%(92)
Hungarian0.9%(82)
Austrian0.5%(44)
Australian0.5%(42)
Romanian0.4%(39)
Swiss0.4%(36)
Iranian0.3%(30)
Czech0.3%(24)
Croatian0.2%(20)
Latvian0.2%(19)
Slovak0.2%(19)
Slovene0.2%(14)
Portuguese0.1%(13)
Armenian0.1%(9)
Ukrainian0.1%(9)
Bulgarian0.1%(6)
Turkish0.1%(6)
Canadian0.1%(5)
Ghanaian0.1%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
76.3%
+12.8 ptssince 2000
from 63.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
98.4%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 96.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
33.3%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 28.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.4 min
+12%since 2000
from 16.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
48.3%
−12.0 ptssince 2009
from 60.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
3.7%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
33.9%
+12.6 ptssince 2009
from 21.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
8.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.1%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
2.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.0%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
44.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2011
from 45.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
54.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 55.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.1%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
65.4%
+10.1 ptssince 2009
from 55.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
44.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
Female
55.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 55.3% in 2009
Foreign born
10.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.8%
−4.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
8.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2012
from 9.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 6.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.6%
+5.3 ptssince 2017
from 90.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 95.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
78.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 78.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
85.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 86.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.8%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 5.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.2%(1,163)
Married60.1%(2,168)
Widowed0.7%(26)
Divorced7%(253)
Women 15+
Never married28.3%(1,224)
Married48.1%(2,078)
Widowed13.6%(587)
Divorced10%(434)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2013
from 6.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
49.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 48.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
37.9%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 41.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
32.8%
−2.8 ptssince 2020
from 35.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
5.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 6.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
82.2%
−2.6 ptssince 2020
from 84.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.9%
−3.1 ptssince 2020
from 40.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)6.9%(31)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)6.3%(28)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.2%(171)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War13.8%(62)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.4%(2)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 448 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Compare Montecito to nearby cities

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Income$106,182−54%
Home value$1,570,800−21%
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MONTECITO VS
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Income$100,658−56%
Home value$1,043,100−48%
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MONTECITO VS
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Home value$1,361,700−32%
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MONTECITO VS
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Income$69,327−70%
Home value$452,900−77%
Population12,121+34%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Montecito, California?

Montecito, California has about 9,031 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Montecito, California?

The typical household in Montecito, California earns about $231,005 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Montecito, California expensive?

In Montecito, California, the median home is worth about $2,000,001, and the typical rent is about $3,501 a month.

How educated are people in Montecito, California?

About 76.3% of adults age 25 and over in Montecito, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Montecito, California?

About 8.3% of people in Montecito, California live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →