Is Santa Barbara, CA a Good Place to Live?
Santa Barbara is a mid-sized city of 88,640 in California, with a median household income of $98,346 and a 4.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 117 (US average = 100), which is 17% above the national average.
Strengths: Santa Barbara stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Santa Barbara is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Santa Barbara city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 116.7Santa Barbara's overall cost of living index is 116.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Santa Barbara costs roughly 17% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Santa Barbara, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,346,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,209 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 40.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $98,346 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageSanta Barbara's violent crime rate is 648.3 per 100,000 residents — 71% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Santa Barbara is served primarily by Santa Barbara Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.9:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Santa Barbara, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Santa Barbara Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 10 | — |
| Middle Schools | 5 | — |
| High Schools | 5 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 50.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Santa Barbara sees average highs of 66.8°F in January and 76.4°F in July, with 19.0 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 66.8°F |
| Average High — July | 76.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Santa Barbara, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,640 | — |
| Median Age | 39.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 68.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 22.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 16.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA is covered by 4 ZIP codes: