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COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Santa Barbara County

California · 399,347 residents · 2,734 sq mi
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The short version

Santa Barbara County is home to 399,347 people in California. The typical home is worth $264,100. Owners hold 56% of the housing stock. Median rent is $830 a month. About 29% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The population has held roughly steady since 1990.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 33.4
US median: 35.2
More educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 20%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
399,347
+8%since 1990
from 369,608 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
33.4
+5%since 1990
from 31.8 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
2,734 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
362K385K409K433K456K19902000201020202024Santa Barbara County
2024444K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.5%(26,008)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.4%(29,418)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147%(28,031)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 198%(32,050)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 249.3%(37,121)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.9%(55,605)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.1%(60,158)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.3%(48,981)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.8%(31,210)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.3%(25,338)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844.6%(18,531)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.7%(6,896)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$46,677
−1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $35,677 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$23,059
+34%since 1990
from $17,155 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
14.3%
+1.6 ptssince 1990
from 12.8% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$264,100
−20%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $249,200 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$830
−4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $654 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
56.1%
+1.3 ptssince 1990
from 54.7% in 1990
43.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic77.2%(285,411)
Black2.7%(10,162)
Hispanic / Latino26.3%(97,084)
Asian4.5%(16,554)
2000
White, non-Hispanic56.9%(227,083)
Black2.1%(8,385)
Hispanic / Latino34.2%(136,668)
Asian3.9%(15,713)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.4%
+2.8 ptssince 1990
from 26.6% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
79.2%
−0.8 ptssince 1990
from 80.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
11.4%
+1.4 ptssince 1990
from 10.0% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.5 min
−26%since 1990
from 18.2 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.9%(51,570)
Married57.2%(89,550)
Widowed2.2%(3,376)
Divorced7.7%(12,052)
Women 15+
Never married26.6%(42,340)
Married53%(84,444)
Widowed9.3%(14,762)
Divorced11.2%(17,792)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
8.7%
−9.7 ptssince 2013
from 18.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 48.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
27.6%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 24.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
62.3%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 64.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
41.9%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 38.2% 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)20%(3,160)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.8%(2,801)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.6%(6,252)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.1%(1,124)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(221)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 15,770 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
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+135%
Home value$822,700+212%
Population830,851+88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VS
San Luis Obispo County
Income$97,446+109%
Home value$824,700+212%
Population282,367−36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VS
Kern County
Income$70,210+50%
Home value$338,300+28%
Population927,068+110%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112+93%
Home value$834,200+216%
Population9,694,934+2093%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Santa Barbara County, California?

Santa Barbara County, California has about 399,347 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Santa Barbara County, California earns about $46,677 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 $264,100, and the typical rent is about $830 a month.

How educated are people in Santa Barbara County, California?

About 29.4% 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 14.3% 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 29,739 residents, a change of about 8 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 →