Lompoc vs Santa Barbara
Lompoc, California versus Santa Barbara, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Lompoc and Santa Barbara score about the same overall (46 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Lompoc | Santa Barbara |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $67k | $98k |
| Cost of Living | $87k | $87k |
| Home Value | $408k | $1.3M |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.62% | 0.53% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.99% | 23.44% |
| Unemployment | 8.0% | 4.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 53°F | 53°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 64°F | 65°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.4 in | 19.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 259 days | 276 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 58°F |
| Comfortable Days | 213 days | 254 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 46.9 | 92.6 |
| Air Quality | 35 AQI | 37 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.9 | 73.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1566/100k | 1502/100k |
| Property Crime | 1817/100k | 2052/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 44,086 | 88,640 |
| Median Age | 34.3 | 39.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.66 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.14 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+33 | D+33 |
| White (%) | 28.6% | 55.1% |
| Black (%) | 3.3% | 1.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 61.3% | 36.1% |
| Asian (%) | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.5% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 18 min |
| Walkability | 9.2/20 | 9.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 128 mi | 84 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.1% | 92.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 10.43 | 51.78 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lompoc or Santa Barbara more affordable?
- Santa Barbara has the lower cost of living: its index is $87k, compared with Lompoc's $87k and Santa Barbara's $87k. Median rent is $1k in Lompoc versus $2k in Santa Barbara.
- Is Lompoc or Santa Barbara safer?
- Santa Barbara has the lower violent crime rate. Lompoc reports 1566/100k and Santa Barbara reports 1502/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Lompoc or Santa Barbara?
- The median home value is $408k in Lompoc and $1.3M in Santa Barbara, so homes are more affordable in Lompoc.