Is Santa Paula, CA a Good Place to Live?
Santa Paula is a small city of 30,788 in California, with a median household income of $72,014 and a 6.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 114 (US average = 100), which is 14% above the national average.
Strengths: Santa Paula stands out for lower-than-average crime.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Santa Paula is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Santa Paula 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: 113.5Santa Paula's overall cost of living index is 113.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Santa Paula costs roughly 14% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Santa Paula, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $519,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,666 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 52.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $72,014 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageSanta Paula's violent crime rate is 326.7 per 100,000 residents — 14% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Santa Paula is served primarily by Santa Paula Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Santa Paula, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Santa Paula Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 6 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 21.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 13.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 64.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Santa Paula sees average highs of 68.0°F in January and 78.0°F in July, with 16.1 inches of annual precipitation and 0.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Santa Paula, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 68.0°F |
| Average High — July | 78.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Santa Paula, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,788 | — |
| Median Age | 34.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 28.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 69.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 27.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Santa Paula
Santa Paula, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: