County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Santa Barbara County
- What is the median household income in Santa Barbara County?
- The median household income in Santa Barbara County is $95,977 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Santa Barbara County?
- The poverty rate in Santa Barbara County is 7.6% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Santa Barbara County?
- $735,700 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Santa Barbara County?
- The median gross rent in Santa Barbara County is $2,050 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Santa Barbara County residents have a college degree?
- 35.9% of adults in Santa Barbara County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
443,975
Median Income
$95,977
Median Home Value
$735,700
Poverty Rate
7.6%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
6.1%
Median Age
34.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$21,353 (+28.6%)
Home Value:
+$158,300 (+27.4%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.2 pp (-2.6%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.7 pp (+5%)
Unemployment:
+0.3 pp (+5.2%)
Demographics
Total Population
443,975
Median Age
34.0
Female
49.8%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 47.6%
White (non-Hisp.) 41.5%
Black 1.7%
Asian 5.3%
Two or More 23.2%
Other 13.6%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Filipino
1.5%
Chinese
1.4%
Indian
0.5%
Vietnamese
0.5%
Korean
0.4%
Japanese
0.4%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
42.6%
Puerto Rican
0.4%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$95,977
±$1,875
-$357 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$127,676
Median Family Income
$108,953
Poverty Rate
7.6%
-0.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
11.9%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
9.9%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
24.3%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
4.5%
$10–15k
3.0%
$15–25k
4.8%
$25–35k
5.1%
$35–50k
9.0%
$50–75k
13.6%
$75–100k
11.8%
$100–150k
18.1%
$150–200k
11.4%
$200k+
18.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
159,766
Owner-Occupied
52.9%
Renter-Occupied
47.1%
Vacancy Rate
6.8%
Median Home Value
$735,700
+$40,300 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$2,050
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
29.2%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
47.7%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
2.9%
$50–100k
1.4%
$100–200k
1.6%
$200–300k
3.2%
$300–500k
19.8%
$500k–$1M
32.4%
$1M+
37.7%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
3.4%
$500–1k
5.4%
$1–1.5k
15.1%
$1.5–2k
23.9%
$2–2.5k
21.3%
$2.5–3.5k
11.3%
$3.5k+
19.5%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
6.2%
1 vehicle
30.2%
2 vehicles
36.7%
3+
26.8%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
56.6%
Single-fam. att.
8.0%
2–4 units
3.6%
5–19 units
7.4%
20+ units
8.5%
Mobile home
4.6%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
8.2%
1940–1969
3.7%
1970–1999
18.2%
2000–2009
8.7%
2010+
5.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
82.1%
Bachelor's or Higher
35.9%
-0.6 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
14.2%
Some College / Associate
20.9%
Less Than High School
11.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
62.7%
Unemployment Rate
6.1%
-0.3 pp vs. state
Work from Home
12.5%
Self-Employed
7.3%
Government Workers
16.5%
Private For-Profit
76.0%
Industry
Edu/Health
23.0%
Prof. Services
13.0%
Arts/Entmt.
11.2%
Retail
9.6%
Agriculture
8.1%
Manufacturing
7.1%
Construction
6.8%
Finance
4.5%
Public Admin
4.3%
Transportation
3.7%
Information
1.9%
Wholesale
1.9%
Occupation
Management
39.8%
Food Prep
19.7%
Sales
17.5%
Construction
13.6%
Production
9.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
20.8 min
Drove Alone
65.3%
Carpool
11.9%
Public Transit
2.3%
Work from Home
12.5%
Walked
3.9%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
148,960
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
47.0%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
18.2%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
6.1%
5–9
5.8%
10–14
6.7%
15–19
8.5%
20–24
10.2%
25–34
13.3%
35–44
11.7%
45–54
10.4%
55–64
5.6%
65–74
5.5%
75–84
9.1%
85+
4.7%
Under 18: 22.4%
Working age (18–64): 77.6%
65 and over: 16.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
22.1%
Naturalized Citizen
39.4%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
16.2%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
72.2%
Asia
16.5%
Europe
8.4%
Africa
0.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
5.0%
With a Disability
11.1%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
90.8%
Uninsured
9.2%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
92.1%
Has a Computer
96.0%
Same House 1 Year Ago
83.9%
Moved from Abroad
0.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Santa Barbara County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Santa Barbara County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 1,018 | 1,474 |
| Other flows - South | 758 | 1,213 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 722 | 1,244 |
| Ventura County | 611 | 953 |
| Other flows - West | 538 | 839 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 343 | 532 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 334 | 477 |
| San Diego County | 286 | 421 |
| Orange County | 262 | 374 |
| Santa Clara County | 161 | 216 |