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Living in Isla Vista

Isla Vista is one of the cities recorded in the United States. Residents of Isla Vista numbered 15,733 at the end of 2020. Isla Vista's unemployment stood at 17.36% at the end of 2024. Isla Vista was home to 1,421 foreign residents at the end of 2024.

Higher unemployment than any other American city that publishes it and cleaner air than 72% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Isla Vista?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Isla Vista.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Isla Vista yet.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median monthly rent1,620 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25064 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)14Community estimate · Supplemental context

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

9% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 1,421 people of 15,733 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Isla Vista is 17.4%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–1095 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–20Isla Vista 17.4%2 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary529.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)13Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate17.36 %country median 4.5%31 Dec 2024Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)2Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Isla Vista. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Isla Vista. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Isla Vista's nearest airport was SBA, 2 km away and offered 6 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count6 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights8Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km2 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official
Nearest Major Airport IataSBA3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Isla Vista. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Isla Vista.

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 levels for Isla Vista stood at 6.2 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Monthly mean temperatures were 11.8°C in January and 17.7°C in July.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Isla Vista average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND22°6°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Isla Vista average monthly precipitation, mm025507510098987923113102193274JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Isla Vista annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5256.2PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Isla Vista is 6.2 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7Isla Vista 6.2252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean6.21 µg/m³31 Dec 2024U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData12Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan 17.5 · Feb 16.72 · Mar 18.11 · Apr 18.56 · May 19.83 · Jun 19.89 · Jul 21.67 · Aug 22 · Sep 21.83 · Oct 22 · Nov 19.72 · Dec 17.22 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information3Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 6 · Feb 6.78 · Mar 8 · Apr 8.78 · May 10.56 · Jun 12.17 · Jul 13.83 · Aug 13.61 · Sep 13.56 · Oct 10.78 · Nov 7.61 · Dec 5.56 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information3Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 11.78 · Feb 11.72 · Mar 13.06 · Apr 13.67 · May 15.17 · Jun 16.06 · Jul 17.72 · Aug 17.83 · Sep 17.67 · Oct 16.39 · Nov 13.67 · Dec 11.39 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information3Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 97.54 · Feb 98.04 · Mar 78.74 · Apr 23.11 · May 10.67 · Jun 2.79 · Jul 0.508 · Aug 0.254 · Sep 1.78 · Oct 18.54 · Nov 32.26 · Dec 73.91 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information4Official · nearest-station reading
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M315.9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)12Official · nearest-station reading
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M36.14 µg/m³31 Dec 2024US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)12Official · nearest-station reading
G11 Max Temp C Jul21.6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)5Official · nearest-station reading
Average annual temperature14.7 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)6Official · nearest-station reading
G11 Min Temp C Jan6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)7Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Brunswick15,730 residentsNewton15,741 residentsGroveton15,725 residentsFront Royal15,722 residentsThe Dalles15,745 residentsHudson15,749 residents

Population and city profile

At the end of 2025, the city's area measured 1.4 km². At the end of 2024, the population density reached 9,750.1 people per km².

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Isla Vista residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport91%Foreign residents 9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area1.43 km²31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service)10Official
Foreign-resident share10.21 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)2Official
Foreign residents1,421 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)2Official
Population density9,750 people/km²31 Dec 2024Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)2Official
Population15,733 people31 Dec 2020California Department of Water Resources, Division of Integrated Regional Water Management (BIOS)1Official

Is Isla Vista a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker28%strong on work, weak on safety · range 17–39%
Skilled employee31%strong on work, weak on safety · range 21–41%
Student44%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 32–56%
Family46%strong on family, weak on safety · range 34–58%
Retirement41%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 27–55%
Foreign residents1,421 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)
Population15,733 people31 Dec 2020Official source · California Department of Water Resources, Division of Integrated Regional Water Management (BIOS)
Median monthly rent1,620 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25064 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Median gross salary529.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Unemployment rate17.36 %31 Dec 2024Official source · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)
PM2.5 — annual mean6.21 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Isla Vista when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

How does Isla Vista compare?

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Another city…

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the unemployment rate in Isla Vista?

The unemployment rate is 17.36 %. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

Is the air quality good in Isla Vista?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 6.21 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData.

How many people live in Isla Vista?

The published population is 15,733 people. Source: California Department of Water Resources, Division of Integrated Regional Water Management (BIOS).

How many foreign residents live in Isla Vista?

1,421 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

Is Isla Vista a good place to live?

Isla Vista may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Isla Vista, United States: rent, salary, jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/isla-vista/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_isla-vista-united-states-rent-salary-jobs-air-quality_e83fd658a8b7,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Isla Vista, United States: rent, salary, jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/isla-vista/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Isla Vista, United States: rent, salary, jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/isla-vista/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. California Department of Water Resources, Division of Integrated Regional Water Management (BIOS) services2.arcgis.com · checked 2026-08-05
  2. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  3. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-07
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-07
  7. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-07
  8. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  9. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  10. U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
Show 4 more sources
  1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey api.census.gov · checked 2026-08-07
  2. U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  3. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  4. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25064 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11

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