City safety & data profile

Isla VistaCA

Isla Vista, CA is a 23K-resident city in Santa Barbara County with a median household income of $25,972.

Santa Barbara County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Isla Vista, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Isla Vista has a population larger than 51% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $1,218,800.

Data updated 2026-07-20

23K
Population
Top 49%
By size
$25,972
Median income
$1,218,800
Median home
70.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Isla Vista

Isla Vista posts a median household income higher than 0% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 100%
by median income, US cities

Where Isla Vista income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$25,972 Bottom 1% higher than 0% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Isla Vista, CA beyond the headline numbers

Isla Vista sits inside Santa Barbara County, California, at roughly 34.41°N, -119.86°W. Population 23,096, $25,972 median household income. Median home value $1,218,800, median rent $1,878. Poverty rate 70.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Isla Vista's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 37.8%, then frequent mental distress at 30%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Isla Vista from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
23,096
Isla Vista
Median Income
$25,972
-62% vs avg
Median Home Value
$1,218,800
+435% vs avg
Median Age
21.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Santa Barbara County) - Isla Vista's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
444K+4%
Median Income
$98,161+56%
Median Home Value
$790,700+75%
Poverty Rate
14.7%-8%
Unemployment
6.3%-32%

Economics

Economics indicators for Isla Vista, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,878/mo
Poverty Rate
70.4% +396% vs avg
Unemployment 17.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 43.7%
Work From Home 9.4%
Public Transit 2.8%

Population

White 59.1%
African American 4.7%
Asian 16.4%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
37.8%
Frequent Mental Distress
30%
Physical Inactivity
28.7%
Obesity
24.5%
High Blood Pressure
17.6%
Binge Drinking
17.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
13.9%
Current Smoking
12.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
12.2%
Current Asthma
12%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 41.5%
Annual Checkup 62.4%

Other Measures

Diabetes
5%
Coronary Heart Disease
2.7%
Stroke
1.6%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Isla Vista, CA? ▼
Isla Vista, CA has a population of 23,096 people, located in Santa Barbara County, California.
What is the median household income in Isla Vista? ▼
The median household income in Isla Vista, CA is $25,972 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 70.4%.
What is the median home value in Isla Vista? ▼
The median home value in Isla Vista, CA is $1,218,800. Median rent is $1,878/month.
What are the top health concerns in Isla Vista? ▼
The top health indicators in Isla Vista include Short Sleep Duration (37.8%), Frequent Mental Distress (30%), Physical Inactivity (28.7%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Isla Vista? ▼
The median age in Isla Vista, CA is 21.2 years. 43.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Isla Vista, CA is located in Santa Barbara County, California. With a population of 23K and a $25,972 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and frequent mental distress. Safety alerts for the Isla Vista area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - California

Real-time AQI for every monitored California location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Goleta, CA 31K Santa Barbara, CA 92K Carpinteria, CA 14K Ventura, CA 97K Lompoc, CA 44K Port Hueneme, CA 22K Oxnard, CA 207K Orcutt, CA 29K
All cities in California → Compare Isla Vista vs Goleta → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Isla Vista's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Isla Vista area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Isla Vista against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Santa Barbara County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.