City safety & data profile

Santa BarbaraCA

Santa Barbara, CA is a 92K-resident city in Santa Barbara County with a median household income of $106,182.

Santa Barbara County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Santa Barbara, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Santa Barbara has a population larger than 91% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $1,570,800, and 3 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

92K
Population
Top 9%
By size
$106,182
Median income
$1,570,800
Median home
14%
Poverty rate

The read on Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara posts a median household income higher than 74% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 3 hospitals serve the Santa Barbara area.

Top 26%
by median income, US cities
3
hospitals in & near Santa Barbara

Where Santa Barbara income ranks nationally

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

$106,182 Top 26% higher than 74% 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%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Santa Barbara, CA beyond the headline numbers

Santa Barbara sits inside Santa Barbara County, California, at roughly 34.42°N, -119.70°W. Population 91,842, $106,182 median household income. Median home value $1,570,800, median rent $2,413. Poverty rate 14%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Santa Barbara's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 31.1%, then high blood pressure at 30.8%. 3 hospitals in/around Santa Barbara, 4.5/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

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

Population
91,842
Santa Barbara
Median Income
$106,182
+56% vs avg
Median Home Value
$1,570,800
+590% vs avg
Median Age
39.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Santa Barbara County) - Santa Barbara'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 Santa Barbara, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,413/mo
Poverty Rate
14%
Unemployment 5.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 51.9%
Work From Home 18.9%
Public Transit 2%

Population

White 58.6%
African American 1.6%
Asian 3.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
31.1%
High Blood Pressure
30.8%
Obesity
25.7%
Physical Inactivity
21.2%
Binge Drinking
17%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
12.9%
Diabetes
10.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
9.9%
Current Smoking
9.8%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 65.8%
Annual Checkup 72.2%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
9.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.8%
Stroke
3%

Hospitals 3 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4.5/5
Total Hospitals
3
With ER
2
GOLETA VALLEY COTTAGE HOSPITAL
SANTA BARBARA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★
SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL
SANTA BARBARA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Santa Barbara, CA? ▼
Santa Barbara, CA has a population of 91,842 people, located in Santa Barbara County, California.
What is the median household income in Santa Barbara? ▼
The median household income in Santa Barbara, CA is $106,182 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 14%.
What is the median home value in Santa Barbara? ▼
The median home value in Santa Barbara, CA is $1,570,800. Median rent is $2,413/month.
What are the top health concerns in Santa Barbara? ▼
The top health indicators in Santa Barbara include Short Sleep Duration (31.1%), High Blood Pressure (30.8%), Obesity (25.7%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Santa Barbara? ▼
Santa Barbara has 3 hospitals with an average rating of 4.5/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Santa Barbara? ▼
The median age in Santa Barbara, CA is 39.7 years. 51.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Santa Barbara, CA is located in Santa Barbara County, California. With a population of 92K and a $106,182 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 3 hospitals with an average rating of 4.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Santa Barbara 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 Isla Vista, CA 23K Carpinteria, CA 14K Ventura, CA 97K Oxnard, CA 207K Port Hueneme, CA 22K Santa Paula, CA 31K Camarillo, CA 68K
All cities in California → Compare Santa Barbara vs Goleta → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Santa Barbara'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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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.