Santa Barbara County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 100% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 20% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 91% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 85% of US counties
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 5% for walkability
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Santa Barbara County is a county in California with about 445,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, walkability, and park & nature access. It rates lower on monthly rent and cost of living.
Official websitecountyofsb.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
cool
83%68%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.2 in0.0 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$92k94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$87kbetter than 1% of US counties
Home Value$715k99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 1% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 2% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.65%better than 69% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden21.28%better than 1% of US counties
Unemployment6.0%better than 26% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)53°F94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)65°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation20.0 in13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 92% of US counties
Sunny Days272 daysbetter than 88% of US counties
Summer Humidity57°Fbetter than 83% of US counties
Comfortable Days242 daysbetter than 99% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk99.0better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 35% of US counties
School Quality73.5better than 78% of US counties
Violent Crime1192/100kbetter than 26% of US counties
Property Crime1903/100kbetter than 16% of US counties
Community
Population445,21395th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age34.37th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5892nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0158th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+335th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)42.6%11th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.7%47th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)46.6%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)5.3%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.8%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time21 minbetter than 75% of US counties
Walkability10.8/20better than 95% of US counties
Airport Distance102 mibetter than 48% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access91.6%better than 94% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.04better than 24% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 94% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Barbara County an affordable place to live?
- Santa Barbara County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $87k, better than 0% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Santa Barbara County?
- The median home value in Santa Barbara County is $715k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Santa Barbara County?
- Median household income in Santa Barbara County is $92k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Santa Barbara County?
- Median gross rent in Santa Barbara County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Santa Barbara County safe?
- Santa Barbara County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1192/100k (better than 26%). Property crime is 1903/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Barbara County?
- Santa Barbara County averages 65°F in July and 53°F in January, with 20.0 in of annual precipitation and about 272 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Barbara County?
- Public-school quality in Santa Barbara County is above average, scoring better than 78% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Barbara County?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Barbara County is 21 min.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)