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CITY

Santa Barbara

California · 86,422 residents (2025 est.) · 19.489 sq mi
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Part of the Santa Maria metro area
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Notable rankings
#83Most expensive homesof 6,786$1,570,800
The short version

Santa Barbara is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $106,182. Population has declined 5% since 2000. 52% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $1,570,800. It sits in the top 10% of US cities for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 84%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
87,779
−5%since 2000
from 92,325 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
4,504 / sq mi
+2%since 2009
from 4,395 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.7
+15%since 2000
from 34.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:86,422 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
85K87K89K91K93K1990201020202024Santa Barbara
202488K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(4,361)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.3%(3,745)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.3%(4,656)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.8%(5,090)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.4%(6,470)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.7%(14,672)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.2%(9,831)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.7%(10,254)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.1%(10,654)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.1%(9,758)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.8%(5,115)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.6%(3,173)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$106,182
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,498 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$65,452
+147%since 2000
from $26,466 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
63.7%
+24.1 ptssince 2009
from 39.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 13.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.498
+3%since 2010
from 0.483 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade5.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade5.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,570,800
+84%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $469,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,413
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $936 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
39.9%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 42.0% in 2000
60.1% rent
Vacancy rate
7.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
29.9%
−13.4 ptssince 2009
from 43.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 56.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
14.8
−11%since 2009
from 16.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
65
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Santa Barbara on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic58.3%(53,849)
Black1.5%(1,418)
Hispanic / Latino35%(32,330)
Asian2.7%(2,467)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic52.8%(46,347)
Black1.4%(1,219)
Hispanic / Latino36.4%(31,966)
Asian3.5%(3,109)
Other5.9%(5,138)
Diversity Score
73
+9%since 2009
from 67 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
Mexican30.4%(26,642)
Central American2.7%(2,380)
Guatemalan1.7%(1,501)
Salvadoran0.9%(750)
Puerto Rican0.4%(381)
Spaniard0.4%(352)
Colombian0.3%(290)
Cuban0.2%(153)
Peruvian0.2%(143)
Argentine0.1%(95)
Dominican0.1%(89)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(89)
Nicaraguan0.1%(81)
Honduran0%(41)
Chilean0%(7)
Asian origin
Filipino0.6%(547)
Vietnamese0.6%(514)
Chinese0.5%(474)
Asian Indian0.4%(384)
Korean0.4%(378)
Japanese0.4%(322)
Cambodian0.2%(189)
Taiwanese0.1%(85)
Thai0.1%(45)
Pakistani0%(12)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Hmong0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(97)
Samoan0%(1)
Ancestry
English11%(9,699)
German10.8%(9,499)
Irish9.4%(8,283)
Italian6.2%(5,483)
American2.4%(2,120)
Polish2.1%(1,840)
Scottish2.1%(1,823)
French1.8%(1,574)
Russian1.6%(1,412)
Norwegian1.5%(1,324)
Swedish1.2%(1,090)
Dutch1.1%(1,005)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
British1.1%(980)
Iranian0.8%(717)
Danish0.7%(613)
Hungarian0.6%(505)
Swiss0.6%(490)
Arab0.6%(483)
Ukrainian0.5%(452)
Welsh0.5%(452)
Greek0.4%(356)
Portuguese0.4%(354)
Czech0.4%(351)
Canadian0.3%(249)
Lebanese0.3%(230)
Finnish0.2%(170)
Bulgarian0.2%(159)
Lithuanian0.2%(147)
Belgian0.2%(145)
West Indian0.2%(139)
Turkish0.1%(130)
Armenian0.1%(127)
Brazilian0.1%(100)
Slovene0.1%(96)
Slovak0.1%(95)
Austrian0.1%(83)
Australian0.1%(59)
Croatian0.1%(55)
Jamaican0.1%(53)
Romanian0.1%(49)
Serbian0.1%(46)
Latvian0%(33)
Israeli0%(32)
Moroccan0%(25)
Haitian0%(21)
Ethiopian0%(20)
Syrian0%(18)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
51.9%
+12.3 ptssince 2000
from 39.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.2%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 81.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
22.2%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 15.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.3 min
+54%since 2000
from 11.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
60.8%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 65.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.5%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.0%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
18.9%
+12.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
3.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.8%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 68.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
14.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
50.9%
−16.3 ptssince 2009
from 67.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Female
50.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Foreign born
19.9%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 22.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.8%
−46.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2012
from 10.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.2%
−70.7 ptssince 2013
from 78.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.9%
+9.4 ptssince 2017
from 84.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
68.8%
+5.3 ptssince 2016
from 63.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
25.1%
−4.2 ptssince 2016
from 29.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.1%(15,774)
Married47.2%(17,275)
Widowed2%(726)
Divorced7.8%(2,858)
Women 15+
Never married38.3%(14,682)
Married42%(16,115)
Widowed7%(2,675)
Divorced12.8%(4,912)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Santa Barbara, California?

Santa Barbara, California has about 87,779 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Santa Barbara, California?

The typical household in Santa Barbara, California earns about $106,182 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Santa Barbara, California expensive?

In Santa Barbara, California, the median home is worth about $1,570,800, and the typical rent is about $2,413 a month.

How educated are people in Santa Barbara, California?

About 51.9% of adults age 25 and over in Santa Barbara, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Santa Barbara, California?

About 14.0% of people in Santa Barbara, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Santa Barbara, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Santa Barbara, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,208 residents, a change of about 3 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →