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COUNTY

Santa Barbara County

California · 442,065 residents (2025 est.) · 2,733.941 sq mi
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Part of the Santa Maria metro area
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Notable rankings
#28Highest median rentof 3,137$2,131#33Most expensive homesof 3,139$790,700#95Most foreign-born residentsof 3,14422.2%
The short version

Santa Barbara County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $98,161. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $790,700. At a median age of 34.6, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. It ranks in the top 1% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
443,701
+11%since 2000
from 399,347 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
162 / sq mi
+10%since 2009
from 147 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
34.6
+4%since 2000
from 33.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:442,065 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
362K385K409K433K456K1990201020202024Santa Barbara County
2024444K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.1%(26,895)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.8%(25,935)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(29,308)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.5%(37,637)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410.3%(45,562)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.2%(58,488)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.7%(51,771)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.4%(45,952)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.9%(48,443)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.3%(41,254)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845%(22,242)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(10,214)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$98,161
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,677 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$48,028
+108%since 2000
from $23,059 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
60.5%
+22.0 ptssince 2009
from 38.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 14.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.494
+4%since 2010
from 0.475 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing8.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction7.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Retail trade7.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services4.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration2.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$790,700
+64%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $264,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,131
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $830 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
52.4%
−3.7 ptssince 2000
from 56.1% in 2000
47.6% rent
Vacancy rate
6.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
30.5%
−10.5 ptssince 2009
from 41.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.8%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 56.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
8.1
−23%since 2009
from 10.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
46
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 County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic56.9%(227,083)
Black2.1%(8,385)
Hispanic / Latino34.2%(136,668)
Asian3.9%(15,713)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic40.6%(180,184)
Black1.5%(6,693)
Hispanic / Latino48.2%(213,992)
Asian5.2%(22,876)
Other4.5%(19,956)
Diversity Score
75
+5%since 2009
from 71 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
42
−3%since 2020
from 43 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican43.1%(191,409)
Central American1.8%(7,828)
South American0.9%(4,000)
Salvadoran0.9%(3,794)
Guatemalan0.6%(2,568)
Spaniard0.4%(1,776)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,654)
Colombian0.3%(1,510)
Honduran0.2%(885)
Peruvian0.2%(749)
Venezuelan0.1%(559)
Cuban0.1%(557)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(443)
Nicaraguan0.1%(415)
Argentine0.1%(309)
Ecuadorian0.1%(226)
Dominican0%(143)
Bolivian0%(138)
Asian origin
Filipino1.4%(6,280)
Chinese1.3%(5,780)
Vietnamese0.5%(2,383)
Korean0.5%(2,023)
Asian Indian0.4%(1,829)
Japanese0.4%(1,596)
Taiwanese0.1%(535)
Hmong0.1%(420)
Cambodian0.1%(370)
Thai0%(178)
Laotian0%(156)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(49)
Pakistani0%(47)
Uzbek0%(39)
Nepalese0%(34)
Kazakh0%(31)
Mien0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(225)
Chamorro0.1%(225)
Tongan0%(40)
Fijian0%(7)
Ancestry
German8.7%(38,461)
English8.3%(36,654)
Irish7.2%(31,890)
Italian3.9%(17,246)
American2.3%(10,101)
Scottish1.7%(7,533)
French1.5%(6,486)
Polish1.3%(5,741)
Swedish1.2%(5,185)
Norwegian1%(4,638)
Dutch0.8%(3,488)
Portuguese0.7%(3,165)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.7%(3,134)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(2,878)
British0.6%(2,818)
Danish0.6%(2,656)
Arab0.5%(2,144)
Welsh0.5%(2,089)
Swiss0.4%(1,906)
Iranian0.3%(1,497)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,456)
Canadian0.3%(1,267)
Greek0.3%(1,252)
Hungarian0.3%(1,226)
Finnish0.2%(971)
Austrian0.2%(886)
Czech0.2%(729)
Croatian0.2%(724)
Lithuanian0.1%(600)
Lebanese0.1%(534)
Syrian0.1%(526)
Armenian0.1%(496)
Turkish0.1%(364)
Slovene0.1%(358)
Romanian0.1%(339)
Australian0.1%(337)
Belgian0.1%(300)
Slovak0.1%(300)
West Indian0.1%(290)
Brazilian0.1%(285)
Israeli0.1%(270)
Egyptian0.1%(251)
Bulgarian0.1%(246)
Ethiopian0%(209)
Nigerian0%(194)
Moroccan0%(172)
Serbian0%(133)
Jamaican0%(99)
Latvian0%(77)
Iraqi0%(65)
Haitian0%(52)
Jordanian0%(22)
Somali0%(2)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.8%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 29.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
81.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 79.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.8%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.8 min
+55%since 2000
from 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
64.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 66.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 15.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.4%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
2.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.5%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 64.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.5%
−22.6 ptssince 2009
from 63.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Female
49.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Foreign born
22.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 22.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.6%
−45.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2012
from 10.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.7%
−72.9 ptssince 2013
from 81.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.5%
+10.2 ptssince 2017
from 82.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
59.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 60.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
33.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 32.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married44.1%(79,563)
Married47.4%(85,396)
Widowed1.8%(3,323)
Divorced6.7%(12,057)
Women 15+
Never married38.7%(70,133)
Married43.5%(78,864)
Widowed7.4%(13,329)
Divorced10.4%(18,898)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Santa Barbara County

Monterey County
Pop 433,729
Solano County
Pop 455,376
Orange County
Pop 417,669
Richmond County
Pop 501,290
Places similar to Santa Barbara County
Head to head

Compare Santa Barbara County to nearby counties

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VS
Ventura County
Income$109,797+12%
Home value$822,700+4%
Population830,851+88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VS
San Luis Obispo County
Income$97,446−1%
Home value$824,700+4%
Population282,367−36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VS
Kern County
Income$70,210−28%
Home value$338,300−57%
Population927,068+110%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112−8%
Home value$834,200+6%
Population9,694,934+2093%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Santa Barbara County, California?

Santa Barbara County, California has about 443,701 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Santa Barbara County, California earns about $98,161 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Santa Barbara County, California expensive?

In Santa Barbara County, California, the median home is worth about $790,700, and the typical rent is about $2,131 a month.

How educated are people in Santa Barbara County, California?

About 36.8% of adults age 25 and over in Santa Barbara County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Santa Barbara County, California?

About 14.7% of people in Santa Barbara County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Santa Barbara County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Santa Barbara County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 74,093 residents, a change of about 20 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

109 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 24.09Census Tract 29.33Census Tract 28.02Census Tract 20.08Census Tract 23.04Census Tract 28.08Census Tract 22.10Census Tract 7Census Tract 25.04Census Tract 20.14Census Tract 9803Census Tract 30.01Census Tract 16.01Census Tract 29.24Census Tract 21.03Census Tract 27.06Census Tract 20.11Census Tract 23.03Census Tract 22.11Census Tract 1.01
24 ZIP codes
ZIP 93458ZIP 93436ZIP 93117ZIP 93455ZIP 93454ZIP 93101ZIP 93105ZIP 93103ZIP 93111ZIP 93013ZIP 93110ZIP 93108ZIP 93109ZIP 93434ZIP 93463ZIP 93460ZIP 93427ZIP 93106ZIP 93437ZIP 93440ZIP 93441ZIP 93067ZIP 93254ZIP 93429
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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