Living in Isla Vista

In Isla Vista, unemployment is 17.4% (2024).

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.

Last checked 2026-10-0722 sources

Population15,733people31 Dec 2020Official source · California Department of Water Resources, Division of Integrated Regional Water Management (BIOS)

Median gross salary567.3EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables

Median rent1,735EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records

Unemployment rate17.36%country median 4.6% — 280% aboveOfficial source · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)

PM2.5, annual mean6.21µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData

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

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€60

Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	60.38 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Verizon 300 Mbps home internet¹⁷Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	21.57 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Visible unlimited mobile plan¹⁸Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	2,124 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)³Official
Median monthly rent	1,735 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records²Official

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 worker16%strong on work, weak on safety · range 6–26%

Skilled employee28%strong on work, weak on safety · range 19–37%

Student29%strong on legal route, weak on safety · range 18–40%

Family21%strong on family, weak on safety · range 10–32%

Retirement32%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 19–45%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

9% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 1,421 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 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

1,250

778

0–55–1010–1515–2020–2525–30

Isla Vista 17.4%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	567.3 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables¹Official
Unemployment rate	17.36 %country median 4.6%	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official

What does a salary buy in Isla Vista?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€0of €0 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	outside the model's range
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31	− €2,124
Internet€60 · official · Verizon 300 Mbps home internet · 2026-09-30	− €60
Mobile plan€22 · official · Visible unlimited mobile plan · 2026-09-30	− €22
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	—

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Isla Vista Salary needed to live in Isla Vista

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.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Physicians per 100,000 residents	283.9 per 100,000	31 Dec 2023	Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release⁴Official · county

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.

Mobility and administration

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	6 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹²Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	2 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹³Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	SBA	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹³Official

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, HybridCost varies

Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies

Open official information

Open the full United States section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Isla Vista.

Find courses near 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

18°6°

17°7°

18°8°

19°9°

20°11°

20°12°

22°14°

22°11°

20°8°

17°6°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.56.2WHO 5 · EU 25

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, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

135

261

252

124

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–16

Isla Vista 6.2

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	6.21 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by month	Jan 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 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 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 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 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 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 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 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information⁸Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, highest monitored reading	15.9 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, annual mean	6.14 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Maximum July temperature	21.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)⁹Official · nearest-station reading
Average annual temperature	14.7 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁰Official · nearest-station reading
Minimum January temperature	6 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹¹Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In United States: Ventura ±1.0 °C. Elsewhere: Saanich (Canada) ±4.1 °C, Leiria (Portugal) ±1.6 °C, Reims (France) ±4.5 °C, Cork (Ireland) ±4.7 °C, Werl (Germany) ±4.7 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

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

By nationality

National passport91%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	1.43 km²	31 Dec 2025	U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service)¹⁴Official
Foreign-resident share	10.21 %	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official
Foreign residents	1,421 people	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official
Population density	9,750 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁶Official
Population	15,733 people	31 Dec 2020	California Department of Water Resources, Division of Integrated Regional Water Management (BIOS)⁵Official

Alternatives for people set on Isla Vista

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Montecito as an Isla Vista alternative in the same region

21 km away, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Median gross pay, city: €3,394 Montecito vs €567 Isla Vista+498%
Unemployment: 4.0% Montecito vs 17.4% Isla Vista−77%
Residents: 8,210 Montecito vs 15,733 Isla Vista−48%
Annual PM2.5: 7.4 µg/m³ Montecito vs 6.2 µg/m³ Isla Vista+19%
Foreign residents: 10.2% Montecito vs 10.2% Isla Vistasame level

Full comparison More about Montecito

North Bethesda as an Isla Vista alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 3809 km, better on 4 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Median gross pay, city: €6,119 North Bethesda vs €567 Isla Vista+979%
Foreign residents: 34.1% North Bethesda vs 10.2% Isla Vista+234%
Unemployment: 3.6% North Bethesda vs 17.4% Isla Vista−79%
Annual PM2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ North Bethesda vs 6.2 µg/m³ Isla Vista−5%

Full comparison More about North Bethesda

Cities near Isla Vista

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Montecito 21.1 km away

Rent: 3,235 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 3,394 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Isla Vista, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

Brunswick15,730 residents Newton15,741 residents Groveton15,725 residents Front Royal15,722 residents The Dalles15,745 residents Hudson15,749 residents

How does Isla Vista compare?

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Put Isla Vista's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

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 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.

Which cities are near Isla Vista?

Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito are near Isla Vista. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

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, October 16). Isla Vista, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ccadb9795ded50339c35a20794ce6c25]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/isla-vista/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_isla-vista-united-states-population-rent-salary-jobs_a8b2ccf48ff2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Isla Vista, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {ccadb9795ded50339c35a20794ce6c25},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/isla-vista/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Isla Vista, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/isla-vista/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ccadb9795ded50339c35a20794ce6c25; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

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

2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-10-04
California Department of Water Resources, Division of Integrated Regional Water Management (BIOS) services2.arcgis.com · checked 2026-08-05
Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-07
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-07

Show 12 more sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-07
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey api.census.gov · checked 2026-08-07
U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
Verizon 300 Mbps home internet verizon.com · checked 2026-09-15
Visible unlimited mobile plan visible.com · checked 2026-09-15
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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