Living in Santa Barbara
There were 1,631 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. Santa Barbara, a city in the United States, had a population of 87,779 in July 2026. 55.7% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.
Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Santa Barbara?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Median gross rent was US$2,413 per month, while the median home value was US$1,570,800 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 39.9%, and the vacancy rate was 7.43% in July 2026.
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 57.9 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 61.82 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 1,241 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 79.23 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 217.1 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444)33Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross rent | $2,413/month | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 55.7 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Housing vacancy rate (legacy series) | 7.43 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Property crime per 100,000 residents | 2,309 per 100,000 people | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 2,422 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 | 2,121 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Recorded property crimes | 1,433 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official |
Is Santa Barbara 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.
Worked out from these numbers
How international is the population?
20.2% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 17,453 of 86,422 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.
Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.Work and income
Median household income was US$106,182 a year in July 2026.
Santa Barbara 5.8%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | 106,182 USD/year | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband | 82.49 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.88 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Households with internet but no subscription | 2.66 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Households without internet | 3.28 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Households with satellite internet | 4.15 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Median gross salary | 3,929 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)26Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,819 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | www.bls.gov25Official |
| Unemployment rate | 5.75 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
What does a salary buy in Santa Barbara?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobileLeft over
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. | €2,987 |
| 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 | − €2,422 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€217 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444) · 2026-07-31 | − €217 |
| Internet€62 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444) · 2026-07-31 | − €62 |
| Mobile plan€79 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444) · 2026-07-31 | − €79 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €207 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Santa Barbara. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
American Job Centers — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Santa Barbara. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with high school education or higher | 89.16 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Schools | 34 schools | 30 Jun 2026 | NCES CCD public school count16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district |
| School enrolment, share of residents | 23.64 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health provider ratio | 52 ratio | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official |
| Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents | 1,631 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official |
| Preventable hospitalizations | 1,454 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Santa Barbara 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 guideSafety
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 2,458 offences per 100,000country median 1,586 | 31 Dec 2024 | FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting14Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 436.1 per 100,000 people | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official |
| Recorded violent crimes | 554 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official |
Mobility and administration
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time | 17.29 minutes | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Workers commuting by bicycle | 3.22 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Workers commuting by public transport | 1.95 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Workers walking to work | 4.03 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 6 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights19Official |
| Nearest airport | SBA | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports20Official |
| Distance to nearest airport | 13 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports20Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Santa Barbara. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course
U.S. Department of Education
For adult learners, adult English-language learners.
USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
For immigrants, future citizens.
Climate and air quality
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Santa Barbara 7.3
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7.33 µg/m³country median 7.0 | 31 Dec 2024 | EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202411Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 17.5 · Feb 16.7 · Mar 18.1 · Apr 18.6 · May 19.8 · Jun 19.9 · Jul 21.6 · Aug 22 · Sep 21.8 · Oct 22 · Nov 19.7 · Dec 17.2 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI22Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 6 · Feb 6.8 · Mar 8 · Apr 8.8 · May 10.5 · Jun 12.2 · Jul 13.8 · Aug 13.6 · Sep 13.6 · Oct 10.8 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 5.6 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI23Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 11.8 · Feb 11.7 · Mar 13 · Apr 13.7 · May 15.2 · Jun 16 · Jul 17.7 · Aug 17.8 · Sep 17.7 · Oct 16.4 · Nov 13.7 · Dec 11.4 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI24Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 112.5 · Feb 112 · Mar 81.28 · Apr 25.65 · May 10.41 · Jun 3.56 · Jul 0.254 · Aug 0.254 · Sep 1.27 · Oct 21.34 · Nov 35.56 · Dec 77.98 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official |
| PM2.5, highest monitored reading | 32.6 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean10Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5, annual mean | 5.37 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean10Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5 monitoring sites | 5 monitors | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean10Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| Annual precipitation | 836.6 mm | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Maximum July temperature | 20.89 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Average annual temperature | 16.41 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Minimum January temperature | 11.97 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
Similar climate. In United States: Ventura ±1.0 °C. Elsewhere: Saanich (Canada) ±4.1 °C, Reims (France) ±4.5 °C, Leiria (Portugal) ±1.6 °C, Cork (Ireland) ±4.7 °C, Werl (Germany) ±4.8 °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
Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 17,453 is not 11.6% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport79.8%Foreign residents20.2%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign-resident share | 11.61 % | 31 Dec 2020 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)8Official |
| Foreign residents | 17,453 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Transit service area population | 477,018 people | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Population density | 1,712 people/km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau9Official |
| Population | 86,422 people | 31 Dec 2025 | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program21Official |
| Population covered by crime statistics | 86,926 people | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official |
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | 1,570,800 USD | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Owner-occupied homes | 39.86 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Labour force participation rate | 64.79 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Residents born abroad | 19.88 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Naturalized citizens, share of residents | 8.28 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Non-citizens, share of residents | 11.61 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Flu vaccination coverage | 65.54 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage6Official |
| Mammography screening coverage | 74.7 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC mammography screening rate7Official |
| Residents without health insurance | 8.2 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher | 51.93 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Crime reporting agencies | 1 agencies | 1 Jul 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official |
| Households with a vehicle available | 92.08 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent4Official |
| Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database | 2 agencies | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Transit passenger trips, 2022 | 4,199,622 trips | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Transit vehicles in peak service, 2022 | 89 vehicles | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Workers aged 16 and over | 44,010 workers | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Workers mainly working from home | 18.88 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
| Households using cellular data plans | 88.63 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population5Official |
Alternatives for people set on Santa Barbara
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.
Goleta as a Santa Barbara alternative in the same region
9 km away, better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,774 Goleta vs 2,458 Santa Barbara−28%
- Unemployment: 4.2% Goleta vs 5.8% Santa Barbara−27%
- Nearest airport: 2.0 km Goleta vs 13.0 km Santa Barbara−85%
- Residents: 32,401 Goleta vs 86,422 Santa Barbara−63%
- Annual PM2.5: 6.1 µg/m³ Goleta vs 7.3 µg/m³ Santa Barbara−16%
- Median gross pay, city: €3,879 Goleta vs €3,929 Santa Barbarasame level
- Foreign residents: 12.0% Goleta vs 11.6% Santa Barbara+3%
San Ramon as a Santa Barbara alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 425 km, better on 6 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Median gross pay, city: €7,711 San Ramon vs €3,929 Santa Barbara+96%
- Median gross pay, region: €5,487 San Ramon vs €3,819 Santa Barbara+44%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,199 San Ramon vs 2,458 Santa Barbara−51%
- Annual PM2.5: 5.6 µg/m³ San Ramon vs 7.3 µg/m³ Santa Barbara−24%
- Unemployment: 5.2% San Ramon vs 5.8% Santa Barbara−10%
- Nearest airport: 17.0 km San Ramon vs 13.0 km Santa Barbara+31%
- Foreign residents: 13.5% San Ramon vs 11.6% Santa Barbara+16%
Vilnius as a Santa Barbara alternative in another country
Better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k and foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.
- Nearest airport: 6.0 km Vilnius vs 13.0 km Santa Barbara−54%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,929 (2025) Vilnius vs 2,458 (2024) Santa Barbarano percentage
- Foreign residents: 8.0% (2024) Vilnius vs 11.6% (2020) Santa Barbarano percentage
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €199 Vilnius vs €217 Santa Barbara−8%
Cities near Santa Barbara
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 3,235 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,394 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,735 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 567.3 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Alternative cities in United States
Other cities in United States to compare with Santa Barbara, nearest in population first.
How does Santa Barbara compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Santa Barbara's.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the typical salary around Santa Barbara?
The median gross salary is 3,819 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.
What is the unemployment rate in Santa Barbara?
The unemployment rate is 5.75 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.
Is the air quality good in Santa Barbara?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.33 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: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.
How safe is Santa Barbara?
Police recorded 2,458 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.
How many people live in Santa Barbara?
The published population is 86,422 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.
How many foreign residents live in Santa Barbara?
17,453 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.
Is Santa Barbara a good place to live?
Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara?
Montecito, Goleta, Isla Vista, Carpinteria are near Santa Barbara. 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). Santa Barbara, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version dd02371c7d4f34a0ad67e1c37f848e41]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/santa-barbara/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_santa-barbara-united-states-population-rent-salary-jobs_9030382c5b0f,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Santa Barbara, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {dd02371c7d4f34a0ad67e1c37f848e41},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/santa-barbara/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Santa Barbara, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/santa-barbara/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version dd02371c7d4f34a0ad67e1c37f848e41; 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
- 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
- ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
- Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
- EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
Show 23 more sources
- EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
- FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
- FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
- FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
- HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
- Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
- Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
- 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
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Numbeo - Cost of Living in Santa Barbara (Wayback Machine capture 20260213143444) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.